There's a trend within millennials that is sweeping the country. No longer are they staying in one job for their entire career. They aren't interested in the same American dream as other generations. They are creating an economy that works for them where they can work flexible jobs and still take care of their emotional well being. The internet is allowing more people to work remotely and reach a global client base. Websites that pool people with similar interests allow them to reach people interested in their services with simple search engines and the entire economy is shifting because of the freedom now available as well as the realization that they have to take control of their health. Sitting has created so much poor health in our country that there are now aging populations who spend years immobile or in poor health as they age.
Millennials know that they have to shift not only their diets but also, the amount of time they are sedentary if they are going to age without unnecessary pain and physical complications. The internet has opened up new ideas of services to offer people and avenues for entertainment. Iphones have made it so any creative person can be a filmmaker, vlogger or YouTube icon. People are able to pursue their passions with access to information like never before. It's all happening so quickly that our culture is changing faster than every before. Our minds are trying to catch up and make sure that this trend goes in a helpful direction that will benefit everyone in the future.
Spiritually, the interest is huge and only growing. In the last few years we saw the yoga industry explode and now studios are spreading to more remote areas and there are many online classes that were never available before. New age healers are creating a new economy as well. It's common for a millennial to be well versed in tarot or studying something they are passionate on the side as they prepare to be self employed. They are starting their own companies with a few clicks on the computer and the creativity of this generation is skyrocketing. What's interesting is where these trends are coming from and how they ripple out. They begin usually in progressive centers such as Portland, LA and San Francisco. Let's just say these ideas are starting in those places, obviously they can start anywhere but we are speaking of general trends. They then, hypothetically reach the hubs of people in Austin, New York, Asheville and other places with progressive populations. As these trends spark interest, the organic sustainable locally sourced magical companies then blossom into the smaller cities and suburbs. This is how our economy is shifting.
How do we ensure stability in our future with this age of creative technology? How do promote a culture that doesn't get sucked into the self obsession that can come from social media promotion? How can we ensure that we will still have people interested in non-glamorous positions that keep the nuts and bolts of our country running? Well we at the very least have to talk about it. We have to make sure people have the attention span to learn the skills and trades that keep our infrastructure running while still leaving room for new energy innovations and outside of the box solutions to civic needs. We can expect new types of schools that break to the mold to open and many new types of housing, food growing and energy production. It's a very exciting time that requires diligence on our part to stay on top of these trends so they don't get away with us.
As the millennials found that the American dream needed revision, they didn't know what the new dream would be but they knew it needed to put the environment into the equation. They also knew they didn't want to have the debt of a high mortgage and found their college loans to be a hindrance in this new approach. Now that festival season has expanded to include so many conscious education gatherings, we see that the demand for alternative living and a spiritually based sense of community is growing. Money just isn't making people as happy as it used to because we are evolving and people now feel they need a purpose.
We are heading to a time when intuition and taking time for mediation is just as normal as brushing our teeth or sitting on the couch watching our favorite show. How can you be a part of this new economy that will offer you a healthy use of time and an outlet for creativity? How can we direct this freedom and power of technology in a way that provides stability for the people that are breaking the mold and the families that they bring into the world? We expect people to live longer and be able to work longer as is already the case but how do we plan for a future where we can provide for the aging population, raise families and support ourselves? Perhaps the answer is to promote more self-sustained living and make commuting a bad idea. We see cities that are making everything you need within walking distance and these communities require less cars and thus create less pollution.
Whether it's living in a city or on a farm, it's important to have a trade that a community will need now and in the future. We know we will always need plumming, haircuts, food, beds, furniture, housing, doctors, lawyers and teachers yet these jobs in the age of millennials don't sound as glamorous, perhaps because we all have this inner wanderlusting sense of rebellion away from what put so many people in nursing homes. But if we commit to being doctors and teachers, food growers and builders of a new kind of economy, maybe then it's just as exiting as joining the circus or being Instagram famous. Looking into the crystal ball of the future, what will we need and what steps do spiritual warriors of our HOI community need to take to get us there?