It has been a complete week since the year begun and by now most of us have written down our goals for the year. For some of us certain goals have been on our lists for the past consecutive years and have become permanent residents on our lists at this point. Most of us are advised to make goals in relation to our passions and purposes but, what if you are one of those people that have always struggled with finding that purpose? You’re not quite sure what your purpose is or it seems like you have a million purposes – a jack of all trades in flesh. Perhaps you should consider ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that originates from the Okinawa Island where the highest population of people over 100 years old is found. The island is also known to be the origin of karate. Iki means life and gai means worth. Ikigai is therefore the worth/purpose of life. It is the reason for being. Ikigai has four components:

·       What you love

·       What you are good at

·       What the world needs

·       What you can be paid for

Once you find all four of the above you have then found your ikigai. It is said that the reason why the Okinawan people live for so long is because they know their ikigai and therefore live a fulfilled life. It is not so easy to find your ikigai. It requires an introspective look at yourself. It is also not a destination; it is a journey that can take a lifetime taking one step and a time.

Lately, there has been such an intense focus on people finding their purpose. Most of the times they say that your purpose will eventually lead to an income. I beg to differ because this is not always the case. As a matter of fact, you may find that what you really love but you are simply not good at it and therefore you cannot get paid for it.  

With Ikigai however, what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for all intertwine.

·       If what you love is also what you are good at then this is your passion

·        If what you love is a service to others or a need to the world then this is your mission

·        If you can do something for the benefit of the world and get paid for it, this becomes your vocation

·       Finally, if what you are good at is also something that you can be paid for then this is your profession

Finding ikigai also means taking good care of your body and soul. Eating well, exercising, resting, having good relations with others and managing stress, and spiritual wellbeing are all a part of ikigai.

Life is a series of components and to live a fulfilled life we need to do the work and find the meaningfulness of it. All these of course also requires a deliberate enquiry with our maker because there are certain questions we simply cannot answer on our own. As it is our innate desire to live a purposeful life that makes everyday worthwhile, consider ikigai as a step towards achieving that. Add finding your Ikigai to your resolution list. If interested, there is a book by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia on Ikigai. Stay wise.

 

Natu