2024年4月14日发(作者：first是什么意思)

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Journey through the odyssey years

1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different

age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old

age. We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with

each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. These

challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the

child's need to learn, the adult's need to find the right career and build a family,

and the senior's need for support and good health care.

2 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing.

3 In previous times, people didn't have a solid idea of childhood as being

separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of

adolescence. Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to

adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would

now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. Then during this career

they would start a family, ideal y before they turned 30.

4 Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life that

comes after high school graduation, continues through college, and then leads

to starting a family and having a career, the so-cal ed odyssey years. Recent

trends show radical changes as young people are fol owing a

different agenda. They take breaks from school, live with friends and often

return to living with their parents. Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one

job and try another or even shift to a new career. So, we need to recognize this

new stage, the odyssey years, which many now consider to be an unavoidable

stage in reaching adulthood.

5 People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended

to frame their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain

accomplishments: moving away from home, becoming financial y independent,

finding the right spouse and starting a family. But that emphasis on stability did

not remain static. Today, young people are unlikely to do the same. During the

odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage, child

bearing, and even employment.

6 The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to

move forward quickly. As the sole heir and focus of their parents' expectations,

hopes and dreams, some react with rebellious and prideful attitudes and

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behavior toward their parents. They often resent the pressure they're feeling

and keep a distance from their parents or even run away from home. Their

confusion comes from the difficulties to make parents understand them and

the fluid journey of discovery they need in this phase of their lives. To get away

from this confusion and upset, many young people resort to computer games,

iPods, iPhones, or iPads, to help distract them from their pain and stress.

7 Likewise, their parents are feeling more anxious. They may

make allowances for a transition phase from student life to adult life, but they

get upset when they see the transition of their grown children's lives moving

away from their expectations and stretching five years to seven years, and

beyond. The parents don't even detect a clear sense of direction in their

children's lives. They look at them and see the things that are being delayed.

8 It's hard to predict what's next. New guidelines haven't been established yet,

and everything seems to give way to a less permanent version of

itself. There's been a shift in the status and balance of power between the

genders, too. More women are getting degrees than men. Male wages have

remained stable over the past decades, while female wages have boomed.

9 Apart from anything else, this has had an implicit effect on

courtship. Educated women can get many of the things they want, such as

security, accomplishment, and identity without marriage. However, both

genders are having a harder time finding suitable mates to build their lives

with. Considering all of this, it's beneficial to know that even though graduates

are delaying many things after college, surveys show they still hold highly

traditional aspirations. For example, this contemporary generation rates

parenthood even more highly than previous generations did!

10 This new phase will likely grow more pronounced in the coming

years. Nations around the world have witnessed similar trends toward delaying

marriage and spending more years than ever shifting between higher

education and settling down with a career and family.

11 Nevertheless, graduates shouldn't be deceived into thinking they can back

off simply because things have become more difficult. A large number of

people chasing relatively fewer opportunities can create strong competitive

pressure. So, from the outset, keep your resume professional and up-to-date.

12 To reinforce this essential message, success moving through the odyssey

years will come to those who don't expect to achieve their goals right away but

know that they must have the strength, capacity and confidence to endure over

the long term. If you're a little late with your goals, don't feel like a failure! Stay

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