It's Alright To Be Little Bitty

• • As I look around the room and listen to each of my cohorts introduce themselves, I begin to feel a rising sense of inadequacy. I’m hearing job titles that include “VP,” stories of teams they’ve led, and hearing years of job experience that nearly add up to simply my existence on this earth. How did I sneak in here? I start to ask myself. Did the selection committee think my college graduation date was a typo? There’s no way they’d put me in this room if they knew how fresh I am to the adult world. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe it’s been on a team at work, or a small group at church: you scan the people in the room, realize you’re the youngest of them all, and promptly decide you can’t have much to contribute. Everyone older already knows everything you know and more, right? I’m beginning to realize this way of thinking is not only flawed, but actually does a disservice both to us and the older folks in our circles. The more experienced individuals I mentioned above are all my fellows in the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Program, and in the first two days we spent together, several of my new friends helped me see just a few of the reasons why we need all of us.

1. Us young folks often do have more to learn—and it’s a gift! It is generally—although not always—true: the more years you have under the belt, the more you’ve seen and experienced and thus, hopefully, learned. If it’s the case for you and me, that we still have much to learn, then we should view it as a gift to be surrounded by those with more experience than us. Not only does it benefit us to soak up their wisdom, but it is rewarding for them to share it with us! I once had a mentor tell me one of his most rewarding experiences in life was sharing advice with a mentee who actually proceeded to put his advice into action; we have the opportunity to bring that type of joy to the sages in the room!
2. Us young folks often ask questions from a different angle than our older counterparts—and we can help them see things in a new light. Sometimes the question you think is silly or naive is actually a question which has never been asked. By being the person who asks the question, you might just be the first person to bring light to a corner of wisdom your more seasoned counterpart may not even realize they have. Or, perhaps it helps them see something they took for granted, because they learned it so long ago it seemed obvious to them, but it doesn’t to many of the rest of us.
3. Us young folks are often an invaluable voice for our generation—and we can help bridge the gap between generations when we’re in the company of folks who span decades. Almost every time I’ve been in a room full of seasoned experts, in any field, I’m asked repeatedly to help them understand my generation. While each of us has our own perspective on our peers, we can often provide far deeper context to our generation’s motivations, desires, and behaviors. Sometimes it’s as simple as helping a colleague learn how to set up their iPhone lock screen with a weather app widget (looking at you, Chad), or other times it might be diving deep into how the very technology that was supposed to make our lives better has actually shaped many of our childhood and adolescent lives in a negative way. This isn’t about telling other generations they’re wrong; it’s sharing our collective experience with them, and letting them share theirs with us. We’re all better when we learn how to work with, and live in community with, folks beyond just our own generation. Bottom line: your young eyes, mind, and heart, are gifts. To yourself, because they allow you to learn with a level of openness many experienced folks find difficult; to others, because that openness can teach—and re-teach—our elders of the joy and curiosity they may have forgotten, or have never seen from your angle. The next time you look around and start to panic that you’re the baby of the crowd: just remember, they were all young once, too, and they’re more than likely glad to remember it through your eyes. Is there someone in your circle who needs a reminder their young voice is valued? Pass along the encouragement! Share Journal Prompt of the WeekWhat makes you insecure about being the youngest in a room? How can you shift your perspective the next time you find yourself there? Leave a comment Related, without context: