The ones who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do. 

Take a second to think back to when you were a little kid. When people asked you “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Let me guess, the answer was probably a doctor, a firefighter, a teacher, all professions that help people, all opportunities to change the world. 

Now that the real world is approaching faster than you can imagine, you are beginning to feel the pressures of responsibility. You realize that you are going to have to start paying bills and providing for yourself, which is a terrifying revelation. Now when asked what you want to be after college, for many people the answer is simply “rich”.            

The biggest problem with this answer, aside from its shallow intention is that our generation is not willing to do what it takes to get there. People are walking around everyday proclaiming that they just want to make money, but are not willing to put in the work to do so. Girls are going to college just to find a husband to support them, and boys are barely skating by just so they can be hired by their father when they graduate. We are known as the entitled generation, the ones who are used to having everything handed to us. 

You may think that turning on “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or picking up the latest edition of US Weekly is just your guilty pleasure, but you might not realize the effect it can have on you. Over the last few years, you have grown up idolizing people who have had their entire lives handed to them. They have no idea what the concepts of “work ethic” or “ambition” mean. Do not think for a second that this does not have an effect on us.             

As role models for the younger generation we need to stop putting these people on a pedestal. We need to stop idolizing women who teach us that our bodies are more valuable than our brains and pay attention to those who work for their success. We need to reject being content with mediocrity and eliminate the idea that we are somehow entitled to wealth and success.               

My fellow millennials, it is time to recognize the opportunity that we have at our fingertips. It is our turn to make a difference and to be remembered for something spectacular. Let us no longer settle for the bare minimum, but rather strive to exceed expectations. So I challenge you to put down your magazine, turn off your TV, and get up and change the world.