How Finding Your IKIGAI Can
Transform Your Life
According to the Japanese, IKIGAI is the answer to a meaningful life.
But what is it really about?
A Driving Force
The author Dan Buettner identified 5 lands of longevity or " Blue Zones". Okinawa was one of them and Buettner suggested the IKIGAI philosophy was one of the reasons people in the area have such long lives. Okinawans have a strong sense of purpose in life, a driving force an “IKIGAI.”
They knew exactly why they woke up in the morning and could state their purpose in a simple phrase.
Makes Life Worthwhile
IKIGAI refers to two things (Noriyuki Nakanishi - Osaka University Medical School):
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The source of value in one’s life or what make one’s life worthwhile.
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The mental and spiritual circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable.
For the Japanese, it is not a grandiose journey or a big deal, it's simply a lifestyle.
For Tough Times
You can feel IKIGAI even if your present is challenging, as long as you can hold on to that thing that you live for. IKIGAI is associated with fulfillment, self-realization and a sense of existence and control.
Life might be challenging at times, if you are wandering without any direction, it is time to take charge, take the first step to find your IKIGAI and get going in the right direction.
“IKIGAI is really like a treasure map. And, this treasure map can help you find your way to finding wonderful things about yourself that you can share with the world, and the world will say ‘thank you’ for it.”
Tim Hamashiro - How to IKIGAI
Of Little Things
True IKIGAI is embracing the joy of the little things, being in the here and now, reflecting on past happy memories and cultivating a state of mind that can lead to a happy future.
“In order to reach your really big goals, you will really need to take care of the very small things first”. Ken Mogi
You can use Life's simple pleasures as a way to find a little piece of IKIGAI each day by incorporating the things you like in your day.
Through Community
According to Ken Mogi - Author of The Little Book of IKIGAI:
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Your IKIGAI is private and unique.
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To find it, you need to know yourself well.
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To know yourself, you need a mirror to your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
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This is only possible in the context of comparison with other people.
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So you need other people, and communication in order to know yourself.
Human Experience
"IKIGAI is the process of cultivating one’s inner potential or that which makes one’s life significant.”
We all share this desire!
"Each of us has the potential to find our IKIGAI. If you are not sure of your life’s purpose, don’t despair. Your purpose is out there. It is up to you to take action while remembering: We don’t create the meaning of our life, we discover it!” Okinawan resident
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Find Your IKIGAI
“There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don’t know what your ikigai is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, your mission is to discover it.”
Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles - The Book of IKIGAI