Perhaps this is a weaker generation. Or perhaps we had it too easy. This young generation never lived through a major war or hard times. We had Gulf Wars and a minor recession, but our parents protected us from any real hardships.

Instead of learning a trade, we were told to enter college and pursue our dreams. Having everything handed to us, we marched through college, waiting for that perfect job to land in our laps.

For many, that perfect job didn't come, but massive loans from college did. And for those that did get what they thought was their dream job, it turned out to be less-than-dreamy. The reality begins to set in around twenty-five, or quarter-life. You can't just walk into your parent's lifestyle, you will have to earn it yourself and that will be another 20-30 years, not to mention a lot of hard work.

The reality is: life is hard, so get used to it. You have to learn to take care of yourself. The security blanket provided by your parents has been removed.

It is ironic that this hits the professionals harder. Perhaps it is because those are the people who are the most educated, perhaps with the highest student loans and with such lofty goals. They believed that college or graduate school was the hard part, that things would be easier out of college. After all, they would have more money. All their dreams would come true. Out of school, everything didn't fall perfectly into place; those dreams suddenly seem so far away and the loans become a heavy burden to carry. One can feel trapped if they realize they chose the wrong path- after all, so much time and money has already been invested.

This is a pampered generation that was allowed to delay the realities of being an adult until they hit them so hard in their mid-twenties. Perhaps the next generation will be better prepared.

Learn more about this author, Lauren Russell.
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