This morning when I woke up, rubbing my eyes, as if wanting to see the reality one step closer, to be able to figure out “my reason of being,” “why am I here,” “what makes me,” and what am I doing good enough to justify my reason of existence! You know there’s this question that I believe all of us should ask ourselves- “what am I doing here, what makes me happy, and what keeps me going.”
Without having a purpose in life, is a life not worth living, because if you’re not aware of what builds you and what you’re capable of building thereafter, there’s legit no point in your existence!
Prevails’ this very famous yet significant Japanese concept called the “IKIGAI,” which puts us all in a spot to be pondering over our “reason of being.”
It is their secret to a HAPPY and LONG life! Because according to them, everybody has an IKIGAI and finding it often requires a deep and lengthy search of SELF! They say it’s an art of DOING SOMETHING and doing it with supreme FOCUS and JOY, but how do we get there?
Finding your IKIGAI goes through several stages, several questions to ask, and answers to give! It is the UNION point of 4 fundamentals of life, passion, vocation, profession, and mission.
In other words, what is that you love doing, what is that you’re really good at, what is that thing which the world needs, and lastly, what is that can pay you.
Going pointwise, the most important thing to be witnessed is, “SOMETHING YOU LOVE,”
It means things that motivate you, things you’re certainly passionate about, things those interest you, and get your juices flowing! Just for a moment, think, if you did not have to worry about making money, what would that one thing be you’d enjoy doing the most? Or maybe if you’d think the other way, how would you enjoy a long vacation or the coming weekend? Questions like these, if you’d ask yourself, would surely hold an answer as to what you LOVE doing the most! And it should undoubtedly be something you can enthusiastically talk about for hours on end!
Next, “SOMETHING YOU’RE GOOD AT!”
Basically, “being good at” means what you’ve naturally known all this while, your talents and skills. What are those things in your life you’re effortlessly good at? And with some more education and experience, could you be among the best at what you do?
Further, “WHAT IS THAT THE WORLD NEEDS?”
This question is meant to figure out what you can give to the world, to your culture, or your family. There are never-ending problems all around us, in our society, so’ what are those issues you would like to help solve immediately? What are the issues in your community or the whole world those touch you emotionally? Will your work still be relevant a decade (or even a century) from now? Such questions to be asked to yourself every morning that you wake up to be able to draw out your reason of being!
And lastly, “WHAT IS THAT CAN PAY YOU?”
This question is about the things that can put bread on your table, whether you enjoy them or not. Are you already making a good living doing what it is that you’re doing? Can you eventually make a good living doing this work? And also looking into the fact that, Lately, have you been paid for what you do? Have you ever been paid for what you do?
Think about all these elements and the connections they have to each other. The idea is to have all the intersecting parts in balance!
The secret to a long and happy life is to live with purpose every day. The first step to living with purpose is to regain control of your destiny, and the Japanese concept of IKIGAI is such a wonderful tool for doing this. It might take years, even decades, to discover your reason for being. But be patient, you owe it to yourself.
For instance, you’re at this stage of life where you’re supposed to choose your career option, confused, you try hands on lot many things, until you finally get hold of something that actually makes you happy, helps you find your calm, pays you well, motivates you to get up every morning with a fresh vibration, and keeps you going! That’s your reason for being! That’s your secret to a happy and long life!
I have been painting for quite a lot many years now, have been singing classical music since I was young, lately, discovered that writing makes me happy and calms my inner self, and fashion designing pays my bills. There are so many things I love doing, and maybe good at, still amongst them all, PAINTING is always going to be IKIGAI, cause it keeps me going and makes me happy in true sense. Not necessarily out of so many things you’re stuck at, everything has to finally become your IKIGAI!
“I’ve been looking around.”
Trying hard to recognize my inner sound.’
As to what keeps me going,
Guess it’s so important for me to be knowing,
That reason for being, what they call “IKIGAI,”
Finding that “purpose” in life’ what in a true sense makes your soul fly,
cause a life without reason,
is just another change of season,
this “search of self” is all you need,
let a beautiful plant grow out of your seed!”
Whether it’s your JOB, VOLUNTEER WORK, YOUR FRIENDS, OR FAMILY, IKIGAI is as simple as “JOY” found in living; it is what you’re trying to achieve from this life that you were given.
Just imagine a life where you get up to no meaning, no vision, no purpose, and no passion, there’s nothing that would embrace your presence, nothing that you’d be thrilled to do, nothing that will make an impact in the society, nothing that will define your identity, just imagine that.
Doesn’t it feel like something inside you just broke?
Definitely! There’s simply no life if you’re not even aware of why you’re here in the very first place! We all have our instincts talking to us continuously, telling us, deliberately, “this is it, this is what you’re good at, this is what you should be doing, or this is what shall make a difference,” the whole idea is to listen, follow, and find yourself and your reason of BEING!
Subscribe to our Newsletters to get exciting content delivered to your Mailbox!
