CultureSocial Development
Home Our latest stories Social Development “The youthful initiative to strive and thrive”

“The youthful initiative to strive and thrive”

April 14th, 2016

Lyn-Marie BlackmanDisappointment in one’s plans does not mean defeat, writes Lyn-Marie Blackman, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Barbados, but should be seen as an opportunity to reassess and use initiative.

As a young individual living in the Caribbean, you sit and often times reflect on your past, present and future.

You make a critical review of what has touched your life thus far, what is touching it currently and what will in the future. As a budding business woman I entered into an internship programme that tested my suitably for employment with a respectable media house.

On not being successful in gaining employment I felt, as anyone would, all the 50 shades of disappointment from that experience. I did not write or read anything for months on end. One of the main things I dwelled on was how was I going to get past this and thrive once again.

Not being hired did not break me, but it ignited in me the desire to create my own opportunity. Many young people write about youth empowerment with its ups and downs, but out of the down emerges that youthful initiative that many have taken to become all they can be.

I started to analyse my skill set and began to delve into who I wanted to be as an individual on this earth. Do I want to be remembered as that young lady who got overly consumed by my disappointments and therefore progression was halted, or do I want to be remembered as that young lady who got so consumed by channelling that disappointment into a plus that spectacular ideas were birthed and executed? I choose and recommend the latter.

The youthful initiative speaks to the reality of recognizing where you are at in this journey called life and making the necessary adjustment to make your future brighter. For some, that may come in the form of becoming a business owner, going to college or becoming a youth leader in your community.

Disappointments and challenges are here for us not to develop a defeatist attitude but one that, if we let it, can arm us with exceptional new ideas that can change the world in which we live.

Photo credit: http://mrg.bz/pgPAVj

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About me: I am a conservative and articulate individual with an innate desire to see love, peace and unity triumph. My interests lie in medical research. I enjoy researching medical news from around the world and reporting it in my monthly newsletter entitled L.I.F.E.

I love biomedical science and believe it holds the key to a healthier society. I aspire to become a medical researcher and writer. My focus now is obtaining more exposure for my newsletters: L.I.F.E. and The Believer.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Share

About the author

Related articles

Book ReviewEditor's PickHistoryHuman Rights
CultureDemocracy & ParticipationHealth, Safety & WellbeingPeace BuildingTechnology
View all

Submit your content

Submit a video
Submit an article

Lyn-Marie BlackmanDisappointment in one’s plans does not mean defeat, writes Lyn-Marie Blackman, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Barbados, but should be seen as an opportunity to reassess and use initiative.

As a young individual living in the Caribbean, you sit and often times reflect on your past, present and future.

You make a critical review of what has touched your life thus far, what is touching it currently and what will in the future. As a budding business woman I entered into an internship programme that tested my suitably for employment with a respectable media house.

On not being successful in gaining employment I felt, as anyone would, all the 50 shades of disappointment from that experience. I did not write or read anything for months on end. One of the main things I dwelled on was how was I going to get past this and thrive once again.

Not being hired did not break me, but it ignited in me the desire to create my own opportunity. Many young people write about youth empowerment with its ups and downs, but out of the down emerges that youthful initiative that many have taken to become all they can be.

I started to analyse my skill set and began to delve into who I wanted to be as an individual on this earth. Do I want to be remembered as that young lady who got overly consumed by my disappointments and therefore progression was halted, or do I want to be remembered as that young lady who got so consumed by channelling that disappointment into a plus that spectacular ideas were birthed and executed? I choose and recommend the latter.

The youthful initiative speaks to the reality of recognizing where you are at in this journey called life and making the necessary adjustment to make your future brighter. For some, that may come in the form of becoming a business owner, going to college or becoming a youth leader in your community.

Disappointments and challenges are here for us not to develop a defeatist attitude but one that, if we let it, can arm us with exceptional new ideas that can change the world in which we live.

Photo credit: http://mrg.bz/pgPAVj

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About me: I am a conservative and articulate individual with an innate desire to see love, peace and unity triumph. My interests lie in medical research. I enjoy researching medical news from around the world and reporting it in my monthly newsletter entitled L.I.F.E.

I love biomedical science and believe it holds the key to a healthier society. I aspire to become a medical researcher and writer. My focus now is obtaining more exposure for my newsletters: L.I.F.E. and The Believer.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………