Eleonora Ventura, Client Manager at Hermes Consulting for Harvard Business Review
When the future seems blurred and the present overwhelming, where do you look for guidance?
This question, deceptively simple, is one of the hardest for many young people to face today.
We live in an era where social pressure and constant comparison with others can make success feel like an unattainable goal.
I know this feeling well.
I have often found myself struggling with the fear of falling behind, of not being enough, of not knowing which direction to take.
For a long time, I tried to conform to an ideal, chasing an image of perfection that seemed as tangible as it was out of reach.
I kept telling myself: “Perhaps others have found their path, while I haven’t”.
Yet it was merely an illusion, and realising that took time and self-awareness.
I felt like a captain holding a compass that pointed toward what I desired most, yet unable to interpret it. I wished someone else would decide for me. Still, the reality is that the compass was mine, and only I could learn how to read it.
A generation searching for purpose
My experience is not unique.
Many young people today experience a similar sense of disorientation. The current environment pushes them to pursue ambitious goals, but often without providing the tools to understand what truly matters to them. In this scenario, choosing a path simply because it feels safer or seems like the most immediate option can become tempting.
However, this apparent safety often conceals a deeper anxiety: the fear of lacking a genuine purpose.
Trying to eliminate every imperfection causes us to lose touch with what makes us unique and authentic. Putting yourself out there, revealing your vulnerabilities, can feel like a risk. And yet, it is precisely within that fragility that the strength to grow resides.
Starting from within: the first step towards the future
My perspective shifted when I began asking myself different questions:
Who am I?
Which experiences make me feel truly fulfilled?
What do I want to build for my future?
I did not find the answers straight away, but I realised that true strength does not lie in having everything under control, but rather in giving yourself permission to explore.
I learned that anxiety, often perceived as an obstacle, can actually be a valuable signal.
Instead of suppressing it, I began to listen: at times it pointed to fears that needed addressing, at others it revealed deep-seated values I had not yet fully acknowledged.
The inner work: rediscovering your core values
Today, in my role as an organisational psychologist and collaborator at Hermes Consulting, I support other young people on this journey of discovery. Through coaching and mentoring programmes, we create authentic spaces for dialogue where young people can voice their doubts, fears, and ambitions without fear of judgement.
The initiatives we run in schools and universities help uncover strengths and recognise those pivotal moments that have shaped their path, often without them even realising it.
This process of awareness enables them to rediscover their guiding values—the very principles that give direction and purpose to their personal and professional choices.
Methods and tools such as experiential reflection, team coaching, and corporate mentoring make it possible to build a sustainable journey of personal development, focused on individual fulfilment and wellbeing.
A future built on awareness
I would like to share a message with anyone currently navigating this period of uncertainty: the world needs your authenticity.
Every choice you make has an impact, not only on you, but also on the people around you.
Looking within does not mean isolating yourself or wasting time: it is the first step towards establishing a clear direction in an ever-evolving world. No one holds all the answers, and there is no single path that fits everyone.
One thing is certain: you are not alone. Your fragility is not a weakness, but a resource.
It is through sharing and dialogue that we can build a more conscious and authentic future.
Let your inner compass guide you, and remember that every step, even the one that feels like a detour, is an opportunity to discover who you truly are.
Read the original article directly on the Harvard Business Review Italia website.
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