Live And Let Live: 10 Ways Gen-Yers Live Differently Than Our Parents

Don't get me wrong; my parents have taught me invaluable things throughout the course of my life that I will treasure and someday pass down to my own family.

But, I can't help but believe that being part of Generation-Y has led me to live my life by lessons and mindsets that significantly differ from those my parents hold.

Here are 10 ways Gen-Yers will live their lives differently than their parents:

10. You won't look at your life in a linear, cookie-cutter way

First comes school, then marriage, then a baby in a carriage... or something like that. Well, our generation is all about change, and included in that change is a bit of spontaneity and acceptance of the fact that some things just don't happen in the sequence our parents would like.

We're more attracted to a natural balance than a strict timeline, and while our parents may cringe when have our life milestones out of order, we can appreciate the journey much more than the destination.

9. You won't want a job; you'll want to find your passion

Every parent wants his or her kid to succeed. But, we want more than just a job. If anything, our generation has seen innovation like never before.

All of a sudden, those crazy ideas you never thought would work finally have a place in society, and people are willing to step out of their comfort zones to make their dreams come true. We're willing to sacrifice money, success and reputation for passion and an innate love for what we do.

8. You'll never rush into marriage

Our relationships aren't defined by our commitments to marriage. Rather, they are grounded in the foundation of love, respect and honesty.

Sure, my parents teach me that every day, but keep in mind every holiday season when the questions of "When are you getting married?" and "How come we don't have grandchildren yet?" come up. The solution is to answer them, not ignore them, because we all know the answer: there's time.

7. You'll spend because money is meant to be spent

Savings accounts are great, but slaving away your 20s and stashing your paycheck every two weeks is not. Where's the fun? Just because we're getting older doesn't mean we can't enjoy our world. If we can't live it up now, when can we?

Our parents and their parents before them have set a precedent: save your money, spend wisely, save it for a rainy day. Guess what? It's always going to rain if you don't get your head out of your financially-budgeted ass and live a little.

There is a big difference between spending wisely and not spending at all. Let your life be a story of experiences, not neatly packaged checking accounts.

6. You'll travel by yourself, for yourself, any day of the year

Why? Because you can, because you want to and because living for the now is so much better than living in the future. You'll be one of those people who packs up his or her sh*t and books a week-long stay at an Indian ashram halfway around the world because someone pissed you off that day and you need to "just get away."

5. You'll have no plan and you f*cking love it

This might be one of the biggest pet peeves when it comes to parent-child conversations. There is no plan! For most of us, getting to Wednesday is a success. Anything further than that is a freak-out scenario.

There's nothing wrong with not having a plan or knowing what you're doing. That's your plan: You don't want one.

4. You'll welcome spur-of-the-moment decisions

Members of our generation think at high speeds. It's not that we aren't aware of consequences for our actions, we're just not willing to let moments slide because we've analyzed the hell out of them.

You might regret that YOLO tattoo in a few years, but we'll hold true to our mantra; there's no such thing as regret.

3. You'll value your "finding myself" time more than anything

It's not what society or even your parents want for you — it's what you want for you. Sometimes, it takes a while for you find the answer, but when you do nothing else will matter as much.

2. You'll find your voice and courage to stand for your opinions

We've created a generation in which opinions are respected and expression is encouraged. We promote equality and opportunity, and we stand together in the face of oppression.

1. You'll live your life knowing that you're part of something bigger

The universe, the divine, the grand scheme of things — whatever you want to call it. You adopt the mentality that we're nothing if not connected on some larger plane.

Your life will become a beautiful dance between personal growth and universal reciprocity.