Today, I decided to check job postings again, mainly for NGOs, both in Greece and abroad — just to see if something interesting might be out there.

There are moments when I think I’ve grown tired of the corporate world and that I’ve lost sight of my real goal: what I truly want to do, helping people and feeling that I’m contributing to society and the world around me.

I know I can do it, but I’ve been so focused on the corporate environment that I forgot what it feels like to do something meaningful. The office environment drains a lot of energy, making it hard to concentrate on what I really want.

Recently, I went out with a friend, and we talked about her work at an NGO. I felt a kind of “good envy”, not the green, resentful kind, but the kind that reminded me of what I truly enjoy doing. HR is important, but what fills me is the opportunity to help create spaces where people feel comfortable, welcomed, and supported.

This is where I want to belong: in an environment where I feel safe and valued, and where I can create the same feeling for others through my work.

I wonder if I may have taken the wrong path at some point — maybe what I originally told my family I wanted to do, helping others and contributing to society — is what truly fulfills me, but it got lost in the corporate haze.

I feel a little strange writing this. I didn’t expect to confront my previous choices so directly, I thought I knew what I wanted.

That said, I’m not giving up. I’ve already reached out to a few NGOs in Athens and am waiting to see how things unfold.

I’ve also found some NGO postings abroad that offer remote positions — and that feels like a good start.