In the world we live in today, even though we’re the furthest we’ve ever been before, we have a lot of change ahead of us.
As the generation next in line to run things, we have a weight on our shoulders to learn how to take responsibility for the future. If we want to grow, teach each other and make a positive impact in our lifetime, then we need an open mindset.
It’s almost crucial that we learn how to look at things in a new perspective and see different as a good thing. The world will always keep changing and if we stay static, we’re not going to get very far.
We’ll only get stronger if we’re willing to listen, understand and accept new things into our lives.
If we stay open, we make room for more freedom of expression. If we just look at how far we’ve come, we can see the slow but sure way we’ve evolved; we’re changing our mindsets, starting conversations and moving past taboos.
It’s hard being young, we have so much yet to learn, understand and see in our lives and sometimes we can be easily manipulated by fear. But that’s really all it is; fear is the base of all the negativity, hate and prejudice we see not only in the media but sometimes in our peers.
It’s ignorance that seems to make us weak, not compassion. We may not realize it, but when we’re uneducated or aren’t receptive to new ideas, we have the potential to hurt people who really don’t deserve it.
If we aren’t willing to sympathize, be open to one another and make a conscious effort to understand things, then how do we expect to move forward.
It’s important to keep in mind that we have more power as youth than we might think. We can learn and stand up, work toward change and take the wheel. All it takes is a little open-mindedness to see things more clearly.
Macy How is a grade 11 student at Brooks Secondary School.
