Ikigaï : a tool to find your balance
Ikigai is a concept that originated on the Japanese island of Okinawa, which is home to the largest population of centenarians in the world.
The inhabitants of Okinawa live through this concept of Ikigaï and this is the secret of their longevity.
So why not be inspired by it? When you find your Ikigai, you can answer these questions:
Why do I get up in the morning?
What is the meaning of my life? What is the meaning of life?
What do I contribute to this world?
What am I really good at?
What do I really like to do in life?
These are questions we all have to think about and answer at some point in our lives. It could be, perhaps, for personal or professional reasons.
The Japanese concept of "Ikigai" answers these questions by finding your reason for being...
Ikigai means "Joy of living", "reason for being" and "reason to get up in the morning" in Japanese.
It lies at the crossroads of these four elements :
Passion (What is my passion? What do I like to do? What do you love to do and feel enthusiasm when you do it?)
Mission (What does the world need? What can I do that the world needs? How can I contribute to the world and to others?)
Vocation (What am I good at? What are my talents?)
Occupation (What could I get paid to do?)
For example, some people use their gifts in a job that is poorly paid or that does not serve society: they may feel both satisfaction and a sense of precariousness or uselessness. Others feel fulfilled by an activity that offers no "social status" but resonates with their values or passions.
To find your Ikigaï is to find the path that harmoniously links these 4 elements.
Two readings to go further:
Christie Vanbremeersch's “Find Your Ikigai” is a good guide to delving deeper into these questions.
"The Little Book of Ikigai: The Japanese Method for Finding Meaning in Life" by Japanese neuroscientist Ken Mogi.
