Are you looking at life from 🎶 🎶 Both Sides Now? 🎶 🎶

Find Harmony Between Tradition and the Future ✼ Generational Blend

🎶 I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From up and down  🎶
🎶 and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall… 🎶

Joni Mitchell’s iconic lyrics remind us that, just like clouds in the sky, life constantly transforms, leaving us clinging to illusions, while the true nature of things is often far more complex. 

We love to categorize things, putting them in neat boxes to make sense of the world around us. This is especially true of how we think about generations—Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—each neatly labeled, as if life could ever be that simple.

But life, and generational dynamics, are far from linear.

What If We Allowed Generations
to Blend?

What if, instead of boxing generations in, we allowed them to flow, merge, and blend? Imagine colorful strands representing the four generations—intertwined and flowing together. 

Photo credit: AdobeStock GenieStock

The harmony between tradition and the future
lies not in separation but in embracing this blend.

The Generational Blend in Life

In my twenties, I stood on the edge of a generational shift. It was the early 80s, and I was just about to graduate from college. Part of me felt like my future was already mapped out, while another part knew I was standing at the threshold of the unknown.

My parents, born in the early ’20s and part of the Silent Generation, raised me with values of stability, hard work, and doing things “the right way.” Yet, I found myself pulled toward a different set of ideals—the ones championed by early Boomers.

Reflection Point: Can you recall a time when you felt torn between the values of the generation that raised you and the emerging ideals of your own generation? How did you navigate that tension?

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This tension is part of life’s fabric, and it’s not something we need to resolve but something that can guide us forward. Generational tension doesn’t just exist on a personal level but also reflects broader societal conflicts and transitions. These tensions are part of the Strauss-Howe model¹, where generations challenge each other and help society progress through crises and change.

While we may feel influenced by other generations throughout our lives, each generation still holds a distinct societal role based on when it came of age. For example, Boomers came of age during a time of cultural upheaval, while Millennials grew up amid crises calling for collective action. So, while we experience cross-generational influences personally, generational archetypes reflect much larger historical and cultural forces.

Embracing Technology Across Generations

Think about your own life: Have you noticed how the digital world, once considered a playground for the young, has become part of daily life for Boomers and Gen Xers too? My son, part of a younger generation, navigates technology as easily as breathing, but I’ve had to adapt. [Expletives entered here, LOL!] It’s been an ongoing process—sometimes frustrating but always rewarding.

And that’s the generational blend in action.

Reflection Point: How has technology shaped your relationships with younger or older generations? Consider when you have had to adapt to new technologies, or have guided others through the process?

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Each generation’s relationship with technology reflects its historical moment. Boomers and Gen Xers had to adapt to technology later in life, often with skepticism. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Z, growing up as digital natives, have a much different relationship with it—technology is part of their generational identity and reflects their role in navigating a rapidly changing world.

Growth Mindset Through the Generations

What if we embraced the idea that each generation subtly influences the next in ways that aren’t always obvious? 

Take the growth mindset, for example. Have you become aware of it yet?
It’s often associated with younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, but its roots lie in the personal growth movements of the ’60s and ’70s, driven by early Boomers.

Have you adapted to viewing life from a growth mindset?

Doing so will help you understand Millennials and Gen Z
in a whole new way. ✨ 🎁 ✨

Seriously, your eyes will be opened!

It’s important to recognize, though, that each generation’s growth mindset is shaped by the crises and challenges they face. For Boomers, personal growth was about challenging societal norms of the time. For Millennials, the growth mindset informs them as they navigate uncertainty and crises, as they step up to address global challenges with collective action.

Tension as a Catalyst for Growth

I know what you’re thinking:

Isn’t tension something we should avoid? 

Shouldn’t we aim for harmony instead? 

The truth is, tension is what drives us forward. 

It’s not about eliminating discomfort but learning to work within the tension to expand our choices and discover new ways of doing things.

Think back to a moment in your life when you felt torn between two worlds, whether during your own coming of age or perhaps now, as you guide a younger generation while holding on to your own values. It’s in this push and pull—between what’s expected of us and the paths we carve for ourselves—that real growth happens.

Now, imagine your ability to handle these tensions like a muscle you can strengthen. Most of us, after crossing that invisible line into adulthood, don’t pause to reflect on how much we’ve learned, much less if we’ve picked up some valuable life tools along the way. But what if we did?

What if we recognized managing tension
as an ability we could call upon whenever needed?

On a societal level, this tension between generations sparks the cultural and political shifts that define each era. Generations don’t just influence each other—they challenge each other to adapt, change, and grow. In the Strauss-Howe model, this generational tension is part of the broader cycle of history, and each generation plays a key role in resolving the crises of their time.

Joni Mitchell ✼ Generational Tension

Joni Mitchell, like many Boomers, came of age in the mid-60s during a time of societal upheaval. She grew up in a world that valued security and structure, but her heart was drawn to the counterculture movement of self-expression and authenticity. Her song Both Sides, Now reflects this developmental stage and generational tension—the push and pull between illusion and reality, between personal freedom and societal expectations.

While Joni’s journey was extraordinary, the core of her struggles resonates with many of us. At 23, she had faced deep personal challenges—including difficult relationships, making the decision as a single mom to give her baby up for adoption, and struggling to find her voice in a competitive music scene. Yet from those hardships came a song that would define a generation—and that still resonates today.

Her journey reminds us that generational tensions are universal, yet personal. And that struggle? It’s not just about surviving it; it’s about mastering it.
Joni did, and so can we.

 ✨ 🎁 ✨ Joni has given us many gifts.  ✨ 🎁 ✨

In recent years, Joni has given us the gift
of seeing life as a journey towards our deepest self.

When you have a few extra moments,
listen to Joni at age 25 (year 1969) and then at age 56 (year 2000).

You may notice that you're drawn deeper into yourself as you listen. 

This is the richness of life.

In this richness, we can all share and embrace
our own fullness of expression. 

Blending Our Generational Attributes

As you move through life, remember that generational influence is everywhere. It’s in the way we approach technology, relationships, careers, and even how we view ourselves. Blending the strengths of each generation creates a richness that we can all benefit from.

While our personal experiences allow us to blend generational attributes, each generation still holds a distinct societal role. The generational blend isn’t something to shy away from—it’s something to embrace, but with an understanding that each generation’s historical role shapes how they contribute to the world.

The Power of Blending Worlds 🌏

Do you have a Gen Zer in your life? 

Are you looking for a way to better understand them? 

Perhaps there are other relationships in your life
that provoke generational tension.

If you are looking for a way to more deeply explore
the dynamic of generational tension, keep reading!

I’m always on the lookout for generational stories in media. They awaken us to see things we might not often stop to consider. One of the strongest stories I’ve come across in recent years is the 2021 film, CODA.

Ruby Rossi, a high school senior and the only hearing member of her deaf family, beautifully captures the generational blend in her story. 

Let me say that again… Ruby is the only hearing member of her deaf family and they depend on her for everything.

Yet Ruby’s dreams pull her toward a different future. The tension between her responsibilities and her ambitions is palpable, especially during her audition for music school, where she performs Both Sides, Now while signing the lyrics for her family. 

It’s an incredibly moving scene.

After a shaky start, Ruby finds the inner courage and confidence to sing and sign Both Sides, Now. In that moment, her worlds collide (in the best possible way!).

Ruby’s journey is a powerful reminder that we can honor both our past and our future. And, much like Joni, Ruby learns to blend the worlds she inhabits, creating a path that is uniquely her own.

Listen here to what I consider one of the most beautiful performances of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, featured in CODA, sung (and signed) by Emilia Jones.

This performance of Both Sides Now
convinces me even more that life cannot be stuffed into a box.

Life is a dynamic, flowing, transformative experience.

Are you ready to embrace the generational blend
that exists in your life?

Do you know where you are in the continuum of generational progression?

Joni was an early Boomer. I was a late Boomer. It shaped my life.

Knowing your spot on the continuum can open new perceptions—
perceptions that can lead to embracing the generational blend, helping you to understand more about those around you, and discover what makes you uniquely you! 

Want to determine where you are in the continuum?
You can find a bit more info here to help you get clear on this. 

I hope you can see the value in seeing life from both sides. From Both Sides Now!

Reflection Point: Where do you feel a push and pull between tradition and new ways of doing things in your life? How can you embrace both sides of the tension and find your own blend?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 

• Where in the continuum of generations are you? 

• Which generational tensions have been most problematic and troublesome for you? 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please click on the ❤️ below. I appreciate it.

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My perspectives on generations have been primarily influenced by the publications of Neil Howe and William Strauss. To dive deeper into the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory, consider starting with Neil’s most recent book that is comprehensive plus timely all in one.

Howe, Neil. The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us About How and When This Crisis Will End. Simon & Schuster, 2023

Strauss, William and Neil Howe. GENERATIONS The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069. Quill, 1991. 

Neil Howe can be found on substack at demographyunplugged.com

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