Just when you start to comfort yourself by embracing your youth – “I’m only 23, I don’t need to have my life figured out yet” – clinical psychologist Meg Jay comes along with her TEDxTalk, “Why 30 is not the new 20”, and lights a massive fire under the derrières of all twenty-somethings. Contrary to the cultural ethos that your twenties are a time for fun, frivolity, and exploration, Jay explains that this important decade lays the foundation for the entire rest of our adult lives – who we will be, what we will do, and how we will live. She states:

“Claiming your twenties is one of the simplest yet most transformative things you can do for work, for love, for your happiness, maybe even for the world. This is not my opinion—these are the facts.”

But hey, no pressure.

While it is clearly not Jay’s goal to instill fear into twentysomethings (and, thankfully, her slow, soothing voice will steer you away from the abyss of panic), her message is loud and clear to our generation that the time is now to become that “future self” you’ve always dreamed of being. In two short days, 1,500 people – comprised largely of twentysomethings – are harnessing the potential of their generation and gathering in UCLA at the Fourth Estate Summit to enact a new wave of social change. As we gear up for this monumental event, we hope that you too feel inspired to act, no matter where you are in life or in the world.