The Tipping Point(s)

Reality Bites Back: The Accidental Genius of GenX

🌸 ikigai 生き甲斐 is a reason for being, your purpose in life - from the Japanese iki 生き meaning life and gai 甲斐 meaning worth 🌸

They called us slackers, but GenX peeps said ‘whatever’ and just got on with it.

We were latchkey kids who had to solve problems without making a fuss. We survived the dial-up years and learned to thrive in the gaps between generations. We just got on with figuring stuff out. We went on to transform parenting from force and/or neglect to kindness.

Hollywood tried to capture the supposed aimlessness in films like Reality Bites, Clerks, and The Breakfast Club. Movies dedicated to watching us apparently do nothing much at all. Even when we looked like we were slacking, we were actually studying the system, finding the loopholes, and working out how to make things better without making a big deal about it.

And now, at this precise moment in history, three tipping points are converging in a way that makes our GenX perspective valuable;

First, there's the generational tipping point - we're hitting midlife exactly as society faces unprecedented technological change. Our hard-won wisdom about balancing progress and humanity is suddenly essential.

Second, there's the technological tipping point - we're at a juncture where AI and human purpose must find equilibrium. Who better to navigate this than the generation that's been balancing analogue and digital worlds our whole lives?

Third, there's the personal tipping point - what seemed like disadvantages (being overlooked, having to adapt constantly) have made us SO strong. Our ability to bridge worlds and embrace change while maintaining core values is exactly what's needed now.

Being GenX is perhaps finally a vital thing to be, right here, right now.

We're the last generation to remember life and work before the internet, but young enough to adapt to technological change. We played Pong and learned to code. We made mix tapes and curated Spotify playlists. We survived without mobile phones and now navigate AI tools with curiosity more than fear.

This unique positioning gives us an edge in navigating the current tipping point between human meaning and artificial intelligence. Perfectly poised to bridge the gap between analogue wisdom and digital transformation.

We're the generation that:

• Remembers card catalogues but embraced Google

• Learned to write by hand but adapted to keyboards

• Built early online communities but values face-to-face connection

• Witnessed the birth of personal computing but maintains healthy scepticism

• Developed independence without losing empathy

• Mastered both analogue and digital worlds

This isn't nostalgia it's an important skillset audit for the AI age. We understand both the power and limitations of technology because we've lived through its evolution. We know when to embrace digital tools and when to pull out a notebook and rainbow fineliner. We've seen enough tech revolutions to know that what matters isn't the tools themselves, but how they serve human connection and purpose.

Our midlife moment coincides perfectly with society's inflection point around purpose and technology. While younger generations might struggle to imagine life without AI and older ones might resist it entirely, we can be the bridge builders. We're old enough to remember simpler times but young enough to get excited about new possibilities.

We know that meaning comes from human connection. We've learned through experience that purpose isn't found in productivity apps or social media likes, but in the messy, beautiful work of showing up authentically and contributing value.

Perhaps the concept of ikigai resonates particularly strongly with GenX because we intuitively understand its balance of tradition and innovation. We're old enough to value deep meaning but young enough to embrace new ways of finding it. We've spent our lives adapting without losing ourselves. A generation noted for cynicism which actually serves us well here. Sceptical of quick fixes and easy answers, we know that true purpose emerges from doing the thing, but whether that's facilitated by AI or a bullet journal doesn't actually matter.

This is our moment. While others debate whether AI will save or destroy us, we can focus on the more interesting questions, addressing the ikigai risk of AI;

🌸 How do we maintain our humanity while harnessing these powerful new tools?

🌸 How do we ensure technology amplifies rather than diminishes human purpose?

I think the answer lies in our generational natural powers; the ability to code switch between analogue and digital, between human wisdom and artificial intelligence, between cynicism and hope. We know how to take the best of both worlds because we've been doing it our whole lives.

We're approaching 50 (or just passed it) at exactly the right time with enough life experience to know what matters but enough energy and curiosity to embrace change. We've weathered enough technological shifts to know that adaptation doesn't mean losing ourselves.

Our tipping point won’t see us falling into crisis, our unique perspective is exactly what's needed right now. We can be the guides who help others navigate this transition, showing how to maintain human purpose in an increasingly automated world.

The future needs people who can remember the past while embracing what's next. It needs those who can write code and write in cursive. It needs those who understand that sometimes the best innovation is knowing when to just stick with what works. It needs us.

We're not caught between generations, we're bridging them. We're not obsolete, we're essential. We're not slacking, we're strategically positioned to help shape what comes next.

The tipping point is here, and we can tip things in the right direction. Just like we always have, quietly getting on with what needs to be done.

What do you think? Is your GenX perspective helping you navigate these changes? How are you using your unique skills to find and maintain purpose in the AI age?

Sarah, seeking ikigai xxx

PS - I very much miss making carefully curated mixtapes, actual tapes were cool, but then it got even easier when you had writable CD drives… * happy sigh * here are some tunes guys >

PPS - Journal prompts for fellow GenXers:

1. "What pre-digital skills still serve you well today?"

2. "How has living through technological change shaped your approach to purpose?"

3. "Where do you naturally balance analogue and digital in your life?"

4. "What wisdom would you share with digital natives about finding meaning?"

5. "When did you first realise your adaptability was a strength?"

PPPS - This is my post for the fabulous Kaleidoscope Project hosted by Mark and Moon Arica, the first prompt was “The Tipping Point” - I love a challenge or a constraint for helping you with your creativity, maybe you’d like to join in as it can be any form or medium! >>

“How The Kaleidoscope Project Works

1. The Prompt - Each month, we’ll release a prompt, a single word, phrase, or theme, to inspire you us.

2. Create Your Take

Write, draw, photograph, dance, sing, or build something inspired by the prompt. There are no restrictions on style or approach. You’ve got the whole month to let your imagination run wild.”