Surprising Grace

This is Part III of a reflection on what it means for me to be a young FCJ in today's world. Read Part I here and Part II here .  ***** 3. People of Our Time A short piece in the local newspaper about millennials and burnout caught my attention a few days ago. On doing further research I discovered the hypothesis made by some commentators that “millennials” suffer from a type of burnout specific to their generation. In a nutshell, this generation has – because of the expectations placed on them by society, and the prevalence of communications technology – internalized the idea that they must always be working, and that it is not enough just to be “average”, but they must always strive to be the best. As a result, they overcommit, work too much, are unable to relax without feeling guilty or thinking of what they should do next, and are more prone to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Whether or not I am a “millennial” at age 32 depends...

Thirty-two doesn't seem like much of a milestone. I passed through it earlier this month in a haze of anxiety and exhaustion, frantically working to some deadlines, which have thankfully passed, though the tiredness remains. If not for people around me who were kind enough to celebrate the day for me, it would probably have gone unnoticed. I suppose there is something to be learnt from this... But in any case I am deeply thankful that there have always been people around me who cared enough to celebrate my life! Thirty-two seems an in-between stage. I am over the point of really being a 'youth' with the struggles and joys of youth - discovering my identity; the boundless sense of possibility; the restless, persistent questioning about the meaning of life and what I am to do with it; the righteous certainties and idealism about the way things should be. The questions are still there, of course... But having grown a little in experience and having made some commitments...