During
our sessions of entrepreneurship training in highschools
and postgraduate schools
in Italy, in
the last two
years,
Carla and I gave to our
students an exercise on vision: they had to write what they imagine
to do in their life in a typical day of 2035. Our students had to
describe how could be their usual activities in that day, what kind
of job they have, where they could live, if they have a family or
not, and so on. They had to use their imagination to see theirselves
in the future.
The
replies of the boys and the girls attending our seminars were very
different, while most of them specified that they would like to work
in the field they are studying at the moment. But what striked us the
most is the conscious lowering of the aims of these guys. For
example, one of them wrote: “I hope to work few kilometres away
from my home”. Another one said “I hope that the economic crisis
let me find a job”.
We think that these thoughts are an effect of the continuos bombing
of bad news that we are living at the moment in Italy. In a certain
sense, we are experimenting a sense of crushing of our lives and this
is particularly true among the youngest generations.
The crisis gave to our students a perfect alibi: we do nothing
because the economic conditions don't let us doing something. It's
all worthless. There's no excape from our conditions. So we put our
aims at the lowest possible level, to avoid disappointments. We are
afraid of the future.
Terrible, isn't it?
What we are trying to do with our training is to change the
perception lens they use to watch the reality. Yes, we are currently
living a strong and long economic crisis. But behind every great
economic boom there is a previous downturn. This is the moment to
start seeing opportunities where others just see problems. This is
the time to adopt and train the entrepreneurial attitudes. To start
the game. To put ourselves to the test. Yes, it will not be all
roses. There will be difficulties and obstacles to overcome. But...
what is the alternative? To keep still and complain? This is the
perfect recipe for failure. For something that isn't really life.
We live in exponential times, with incredible tools to communicate,
to exchange ideas, to build relationships with people all over the
world. This is the perfect moment to keep high our aims and work hard
to reach them. Or to arrive nearby them as much as possible. And even
if we will not succeed, it's worth it. We will have learnt something.
We will have lived. Because we are alive, not zombies!
