IKIGAI — A Reason for being
Ikigai: “The Japanese Secret That’ll Transform Your Outlook On Life” — Mind Journal
Each one of us in this universe has our own purpose in life, each one of us is unique in every respect, as humans, we come to the universe with purpose.
We all are the messenger of God, so we must know that specific purpose in life.
But the fact is that in this journey 99% of us do not know or find out that purpose, we just come and leave this planet without knowing that purpose.
So, here comes a word called IKIGAI. It is a Japanese word. IKIGAI is the traditional Japanese Practice and Philosophy. This Practice and philosophy help us to understand and to find out the purpose in our life.
Life will always come to all of us with its own set of difficulties, Everyone’s life is different and unique, and the IKIGAI is not the magic formula that makes things perfect, however, by practicing the IKIGAI we will move towards the perfection of life.
What is IKIGAI?
In Japanese ‘IKI’ means life or to live and ‘GAI’ describes value or worth or reason. Which literally means “a reason to live” or in another way “the IKIGAI is the life purpose or bliss”. Hence it can be interpreted as the values in life that make it worth living. IKIGAI brings joy and inspiration to us in our everyday life and is the reason to get out of bed every day.
IKIGAI is an ancient Japanese philosophy that has encased the way Japanese people live. It is also believed that IKIGAI is even the reason for their happiness and longevity.
IKIGAI tends to be pragmatic rather than simply idealistic, For example, an individual’s IKIGAI might be their friends, family, work, hobby, videography, weekend schedule, etc.
It’s important to mention that while traditional Japanese philosophy focuses on finding bliss, However, the western interpretation has used IKIGAI as a method of finding the dream career and meaningful career.
The Westernised version of IKIGAI says the dream career and meaningful career when the career includes these four qualities:
- What you love i.e Passion
- What you’re good at i.e. Profession
- What you can be paid for i.e. Vocation
- What the world needs i.e. Mission
If we look at the above Diagram, The center point on the Venn diagram where all four circles of PASSION(what you Love), PROFESSION(what you are good at), MISSION(what the world Needs), and VOCATION(what can be paid for) overlap is the IKIGAI.
Hence it is important to understand our PASSION, PROFESSION, MISSION, AND VOCATION very well.
So, IKIGAI means “reason to live.” A Simple way to describe it. The IKIGAI is all about focussing on individual moments, undivided attention, and appreciation of the present moment. No major event will not happen without the smaller moments.
The fact is that without having a meaningful purpose in life no one can live a long life. The study says that people who have a sense of purpose in life are at a lower risk of death and heart disease.
Those who have a purpose in life often have always a healthier lifestyle. Such people are always self-motivated and resilient, which only keeps away them from any kind of stress and negativity.
In a nutshell, IKIGAI is the action to be taken in pursuit of happiness in every moment of life.
The way we may find different interests every day, in the same way, we may have more than one IKIGAI at any given time.
Why is IKIGAI so important in our life?
Japan as a country is ranked second in position for life expectancy, with women expected to live 88.09 years and men expected to live 81.91 years. While it’s true that diet plays a vital role, However, many Japanese people believe IKIGAI has a lot to do with their longevity and living a happy life.
IKIGAI can help to:
- Design the ideal work lifestyle
- Create strong social connections at work
- Create a healthy work-life balance
- Pursue your career dreams
- Enjoy the work
Along with living a longer and happier life.
When we know your IKIGAI and understand its meaning, we are aligned with the work we have longed to do and the work the world needs us to do.
When the IKIGAI is known or identified with its meaning, then anyone is aligned and love to do the work to fulfill the need of the world.
The root of IKIGAI?
As we already discussed that Japan is the second on the list, where people have a long life.
In Japan also it is evident that Okinawan people are healthy and live long. An average person in Okinawa lives to be older than 100 years old, IKIGAI, a lifestyle, and a healthy diet play a major role in the OKINAWAN culture for their longevity.
About OKINAWA-
Okinawa is the name for the biggest island in the south of mainland Japan.
The capital of Okinawa is NAHA.
Okinawa is home to the Okinawan people who also inhabit the minor islands surrounding Okinawa as well.
Many of Okinawa’s islands are scenic, and there are many beaches there.
Okinawan food is very healthy. Okinawans are known as easy-going people, almost everyone loves to sing and dance. Okinawa’s music is popular all over Japan. That is also the reason why the Okinawan people live long.
Okinawa is also famous for the art KARA-TE(Empty Hand), a Self-protection technique by using the skill of hand movement. Once upon a time, only the Okinawan people used to practice the KARA-TE, However, after world war-II, the awareness of the KARA-TE technique & its application expanded across the globe.
We can discover our IKIGAI by identifying our Passion & Mission mainly.
Firstly, we must understand everyone’s IKIGAI is different and unique because we all find joy in different aspects of life. There is no right or wrong answer.
How can you find out your own IKIGAI
Step 1-
A. What do you love the most
B. What are you good at-
C. What does the world need
D. What can you be paid for
Step 2-
Brainstorm to find your IKIGAI
Step 3-
Study to find your IKIGAI
How to Embrace your IKIGAI
Step 1- Create small Goals
Step 2 — Plan it out
Step 3- Create a support system
Step 4- Test it out
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