Ikigai — The Reason Why You Get Up In The Morning
On the Japanese island, Okinawa live some of the oldest people in the world. Originating from this region is the idea of ikigai. Roughly translated it means “the reason you wake up in the morning.”
Dan Buettner studied its inhabitants and believes he has identified one of the reasons for their longevity: their healthy outlook on life. For Okinawans, it is essential to find a sense of purpose in life — their ikigai.
The basic idea: If you want to live a happy and long life, you need a reason that makes you wake up and be excited about your day. Something that fulfills you without making you lose your healthy balance.
“Some of the oldest people in the world live on a Japanese island. Their secret to a long and happy life: to find their Ikigai or their reason to wake up in the morning.”
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What is your purpose in life?
If you can find something that answers all these questions you have discovered your ikigai:
- What is it that you love?
- What does the world need?
- What are you good at?
- And what will you get paid for?
Think about it.
You might feel like your current job or profession only answers a couple of those questions. If you are good at your job, enjoy the work and get a good salary, you feel satisfied. But if your work is not something that the world needs, the creeping feeling of uselessness will stay. Only the middle-point of your passion, mission, vocation, and profession will present you with your reason to wake up in the morning.
Ikigai is something that brings joy and contentment. You might not find it in your current work. But if you feel like your purpose is in your hobbies or a volunteering project, think about turning it into a profession. Because it is amazing to find something you love but at the end of the day, you need to also pay your bills. All the little moments of joy in everyday life will ultimately result in a more fulfilling life as a whole. It is “purpose in action.”
Our ikigai at Coachilla: We empower humanity by unlocking the world’s most valuable resource, human potential.
If you want to find out more about the concept of ikigai, check out this video.
Find your Ikigai
If you want to find your ikigai, it might help to stop several times per day and ask yourself: Why are you doing this? If you notice the reasons, the next step will be to implement changes in your everyday life to get closer to a fulfilled life.
The picture below can help you determine your reason, your “Ikigai.”
Even if you are scared of the answer, ask yourself: Have I found my purpose in life?
Take the courage to live the life you are destined to live. You might find yourself arguing against this life. You do not have the time for a change, you do not have the money, or you need to take care of your family.
But the truth is: at the end of the day it is your choice. You decide if you want to change your life or if you will come up with reasons to not do it.
Your reason can and will change over time so don’t worry, just embrace the ikigai that feels best at the moment.
Get professional support
If it feels hard to discover your ikigai on your own, it might make sense to get professional help. A coach is trained to support you in finding purpose in your work and daily life. He or she knows which questions to ask and which obstacles to address so that you can discover your ikigai.
Even more so they can help you to achieve your “purpose in action”. When you feel like changes are just not possible or not practical, a coach can give you the outside perspective that is needed. So you can start dreaming again.
Next Step
If you want to live a more meaningful life check out our “Best Strategies for a Meaningful Life”
Click here to get your best strategies.
One last thing…
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Originally published at www.coachilla.co.
