Tips for International Youth Day

Whether it’s my six daughters or our 400,000 Hilton Team Members (both the young and young at heart!), I’m fortunate to be surrounded by young people every day. And I have to say, the one thing that inspires me most about this generation of youth is their uncompromising and dogged search for purpose in everything they do.

At Hilton, we’re guided by this same sense of purpose – and we take seriously our commitment to positively impact the people around us, particularly the young people who will lead our business and communities in the years to come.

That’s why we’ve committed to impact 1 million young people by 2019 through our Open Doors program – a goal that’s very clearly within reach, having connected, trained and employed 900,000 young people since we launched Open Doors in 2014. And when we announced our new 2030 Goals this spring, we expanded on our Open Doors program with a commitment to double our investment in youth opportunity programs in countries where we know youth wellbeing can be greatly improved.

As we look ahead to celebrating International Youth Day on Sunday and all of the young people who are helping make our world a better place, I want to share a few tips that I share with my daughters.

Finding what drives you requires constant exploration and curiosity. When you see an opportunity to try out a new role at work, experience a different culture, or pursue a new interest, seize it.

As much as you may love what you do, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the day to day – and to forget to just take time out to connect with the people around you. Whether it’s Team Members, guests, community members or, most importantly, my family, I make a point every day to have truly meaningful conversations, even if they’re short and sweet.

It’s tempting to want to do it all. But finding and tapping into your purpose means figuring out where you can make an impact – and dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to those areas. Step back from your daily routine and listen to what calls you.

At the end of the day, we all have the opportunity to do good in the world – and as you set out on your journey to bring your purpose to life, think about how that can positively impact those around you.

No matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to take a step back to reflect on your purpose. What is it, how are you pursuing it, and how are you inspiring others to do the same?