#trophy generation

Casual drop of the "g" ceases to be allowed.

Okay. So Jughead tells Archie the score he received for a big nasty test -- a 66 -- and then overhears Mr. Weatherbee and teachers commenting that they're going to make an example of him, so Archie hyper-ventilates.

All for naught. Jughead saw the score upside down. The teachers reward him for an outstanding 99. And Archie is annoyed that Jughead almost lead him to commit suicide.

Like many Millennials*, I’m pretty awesome at beating myself up. “You don’t know how to cook? FAILURE.” “You haven’t read any Betty Friedan? You are a #literarymidget.” “You didn’t notice her shoes? EVERYBODY noticed her shoes.”

But today I came to a realization—I don't have to beat myself up. In fact, I can find a way to make myself a winner in every possible perceived failure or awkward interaction. Call me a child of the trophy generation**, but it’s true! I can always be a winner!

Take a recent talk I had with a quasi-professional acquaintance. He babbled on and on about an upcoming vacation. I smiled and nodded and asked a few token questions. Sure, I didn’t react with near the amount of enthusiasm I should have, and he definitely noticed this. "Most people get really enthusiastic when I tell them about ___!" Yeah fine so I might have dropped the networking ball BUT—and this is huge—I also didn’t let my mouth run. I was at high risk of saying, “I have no interest in returning there—such a cultural wasteland.” See, if I’d followed my natural inclination, I would have come across as a snob. But instead, I didn’t. And I won the conversation!

So my goal for my 30s is to turn every possible self-hating move into a win. “I didn’t notice her shoes? At least I didn’t tell her she looked fat!” “I haven’t read Betty Friedan? At least I can read” “I don’t know how to cook? I bet Betty Friedan didn’t, either.” WIN.

*What an uninteresting generation. I vote we reframe ourselves "The Starbucks Generation." Too many options