A Lesson in Self Reflection

Feb 20 2012 Published by under Megan E., Uncategorized 

by Megan E.

I donʼt know about you guys, but for me it can be really easy to fall into a technology rut. I get so wrapped up in school, work, and friends that I forget to appreciate the nicer things in life. I neglect to explore all the incredible things in my city that lie just outside my apartment door. So I decided to do something about it.

A beautiful weekend and some much needed free time led me to check out San Franciscoʼs coast line. Armed with a favorite book, some serious snacks, and my trusty backpack, I spent a glorious two and a half hours relaxing, reading, and taking in the
scenery. And it was nice.

Immediately I felt my mind clear and my muscles relax. It felt great to do something so simple, just walk. I explored the caves and ruins of Sutro Baths and then continued on along the coast to a spot overlooking Golden Gate Bridge. The afternoon light gave the water a magical glow and I watched the sun begin to set past the oceanʼs horizon.

As I got back on the bus to head home, I thought back on the experience I had. I realized that no matter how busy we get, its so important to set time aside for self reflection. If you never take a moment to appreciate what you already have in life, you end up just going through the motions without considering the importance of your actions.

Beyond reports, research papers, meetings, and deadlines, we have to remember to enjoy the time we have right now. Without doing that, youʼre just allowing those reports, research papers, meetings, and deadlines take over your life.

While itʼs no doubt important to pursue your goals, we must do so without compromising what matters. As our generation matures we must understand that the little things are important too. That thereʼs a world that lies beyond technological innovation and
success, that life exists without Facebook, and that sometimes all you need is a nice walk.

Keeping this in mind, Iʼve decided to devote at least a few hours a week to getting outside and exploring the city Iʼve grown to love. No matter how hectic life gets, Iʼm pledging to make time for myself.

And I suggest you do the same.

Weʼre a generation made up of some incredible young people. Millennials have proven time and time again that weʼre focused, engaged, and committed to finding solutions to the ills that pervade society. But as I have stated previously, all work and no play can make a Millennial lose the very inspiration that incited the work in the first place.

So take a break. Disconnect. Go outside. Live your life.

When you return to your goals, youʼll remember what made you set them in the first place. Youʼll find that inspiration that drove you to where you are today. Most importantly, youʼll gain the strength to keep fighting for the things you believe in.

And believe me, its worth it.

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To learn more from or connect with Megan, follow her on Twitter – @MeganEmme.
You can also follow the entire Millennial Chat team here.
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What do you do in order to make some time for yourself?
In what ways do you try to disconnect and make sure you ‘smell the breeze’ every now and again?
Comment below, join the discussion on Facebook, or tweet us!
(Kind of ironic we asked you this after this post, huh?)

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Battling Burnout!

Feb 03 2012 Published by under Megan E. 

by Megan E.

Thereʼs no denying that we are part of an incredible generation. Every day Iʼm more assured of this fact as I see young people innovating, taking a stand, and making a difference in all sorts of communities.

But thereʼs also no denying that the work we do is hard. Weʼre combatting a system that makes attaining education a huge challenge, and finding a good job once we graduate even more difficult.

Between navigating higher education, gaining work experience, finding meaningful employment, and everything else life throws at us, itʼs not difficult to see how young people can begin to feel overwhelmed and succumb to burnout.

While working so hard to meet all the demands life throws at them, it can be easy for Millennials to begin to feel uninspired and lose sight of their goals.

Keeping this in mind, Iʼve come up with a list of strategies you can use to re-energize
and stay motivated.

1. Make time for yourself

Itʼs not hard to get sucked into working constantly. But if you donʼt make time for yourself, youʼre more likely to burn out quickly.

Even if itʼs just for an hour (or less) a day, do something that you enjoy. Read a book, watch a TV show, take a walk, etc. But make it a  consistent part of your day. Besides being essential for your mental health, itʼll actually improve the quality of your work. Taking time for yourself reduces stress levels, and reduced stress levels makes it more likely that youʼll do your work well.

2. Write Your Goals Down

Studies show that those who write their goals down, are far more likely to achieve them. Creating a clear plan will make you both more efficient and more focused. Youʼll be far less likely to feel lost and lose your motivation.

3. Focus on Your Inspiration

You should constantly be asking yourself why your putting in so much work and reminding yourself of the goals you hope to achieve. Stressing about all the details can make it easy to forget about the big picture.

If youʼre feeling unmotivated, take a minute to write down what brought you to this project/career/college in the first place and continues to inspire you today. If you canʼt think anything, that may be a sign that this is no longer something you want to pursue.

4. Learn to Say No

Seriously evaluate every commitment you consider taking on. Ask yourself what you can gain from taking on this commitment. Map out how your schedule will change if you take this on, and make sure you have the time to do it.

Remember, Itʼs better to do a few things really well than a lot of things terribly. Itʼs more beneficial for everyone to just say no initially than to discover later on that itʼs not something you actually have time for.

5. Donʼt Be Afraid to Ask for Help!

If you feel like youʼre drowning in work, donʼt forget that there are people available to assist you! Fellow coworkers, classmates, professors, and supervisors can all be valuable assets in fulfilling your goals. So long as youʼre not overburdening someone else, thereʼs no harm in asking for help on a project, assignment, etc.

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To learn more from and connect with Megan, follow her on Twitter – @MeganEmme
You can also follow the entire Millennial Chat team here.
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How do YOU avoid burnout?

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I AM SOMEBODY!

Jan 17 2012 Published by under Megan E. 

by Megan E.

These were the words that most stood out to me from the double feature movie event I attended last night at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.

This event, showcasing one film about the Watts Music Festival and another about the Black Power Movement, served to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by educating others about how the movement changed following his assassination.

It’s events like this one that truly celebrate the impact that MLK had. It seems to me like a lot of people think of yesterday as just another day off and don’t think about why we get that day off.

Instead of taking the opportunity to go on a mini vacation or lounge around all day, Millennials should take time to think critically about King, his impact, and the state of the movement today.

To be blunt, King’s work is by no means over. Racism is not a thing of the past, as much as we’d like to believe it. And until every child of color grows up with the same chance of succeeding as a white child, we must continue Dr. King’s fight. Racism stems from so many factors, it’s impossible to go through them all here. But the quote “I am somebody”, suggests an exceedingly important one.

It has always been my belief that the key to ending racism both personally and on a larger scale lies in understanding the person behind the label. It’s incredibly easy to judge someone based off their appearance instead of taking the effort to see them as something more. Underneath it all, we are all people.

Regardless of our pasts, our socio-economic status, the choices we make (or don’t make), the clothes we wear, the way we style our hair, our politics, and our skin color, we are all people. We have fears, dreams, anxieties, successes, and failures. We are all somebody.

And we all deserve the freedom to be ourselves without judgement nor condemnation. A person’s skin color should never affect the jobs they are offered, the neighborhoods they live in, the schools they attend, and the way they are treated everyday. Every child should grow up, proud of who they are, proud to be somebody incredible.

At the end of the day, that’s what Dr. King hoped for. Once that concept is embraced by all, everything else will begin to fall into place. Once we all understand and appreciate the humanity within the individual, we can begin to truly make Dr. King’s vision a reality.

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To learn more from or connect with Megan, follow her on Twitter – @MeganEmme
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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Millennials: Consider Giving Back this Holiday Season

Dec 22 2011 Published by under Megan E. 

by Megan E.

The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year”. And they are for many reasons. I love spending time with my family, the food, the music, etc.

But here’s the shocker. I could care less about the presents. Crazy, I know. But here’s why.

As I get older presents become less about what I want and more about things that I “need” but can’t afford (fellow college students will understand). There’s no more child like wonder about what treasures lie beyond the packaged exterior of a gift.


So I started to think about the things I really want. I figured that there has to be some sort of gift that would make me feel the same way I did as a child, something that would instill the spirit of the Holidays in me once again. So I thought about what makes me happy, what makes me excited, and what inspires me.

It took me a while but I came up with 3 gifts
that would really make my Holidays special.

These gifts aren’t things that can be wrapped in a box, they’re more than that. They’re solutions to the issues that I’m most passionate about. They’re answers to the world’s most pressing problems. They go beyond ribbon and paper and dig down deep into what really matters.

For me, the most integral themes of the Holidays are generosity, love, and companionship. All of those themes can be found in the gifts listed below, making them the most perfect presents I could possibly dream of.

Please take a look, and consider making a donation to the organizations that make these gifts possible.

1. No Person Ever Goes Hungry.

Feeding America (@FeedingAmerica) hopes to combat that pain of hunger. Through their website, you can shop their catalogue for gifts that can be made in a friend or family member’s name. You can also search their database for the food bank nearest you to donate to. And guess what, every dollar you donate equals 8 meals for those who need it.

2. No Person Discriminated Against for Any Reason.

Have you ever felt judged for who you are? Perhaps for your religious denomination (or lack of), your political beliefs, or the color of your skin?

The Human Rights Watch (@HRW) combats that discrimination by giving “voice to the oppressed and hold[ing] oppressors accountable for their crimes”

3. Every Woman Feels Safe

Every woman has the right to be in control of her own body, end of story. RAINN (@RAINN01)helps make that possible.

This is what the Holidays are about. Not ipods or big screen TVs, but making a difference for the powerless and creating change for the voiceless. Be that power, be that voice, and donate today.

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To learn more from and connect with Megan, follow her on Twitter – @MeganEmme
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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As you have become older, how have you kept the Holiday spirit alive?  Comment below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.

We also want to invite you to our #MCHolidayBash that is going on ALL NEXT WEEK! We will have plenty of special events going on throughout week online.  No plane tickets need to be purchased, just a quick login to Twitter, Facebook, or subscription to this blog should work!

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