Ikigai: An Art To Help You Find The Purpose Of Your Life
Ikigai is a Japanese word meaning “the reason to be” or “the reason we wake up every morning”.
For the Japanese, we all carry with us our own ikigai inside us and it is important to discover it and own it, because then we will have what it takes to overcome difficulties.
There are few psychological and existential principles that are as fundamental in our daily lives as what this term covers.
Finding meaning in yourself, having a reason to live… it’s the key to keeping the doubt away and it’s fundamental when dealing with today’s worst evil: depression.
Many of our psychological problems can be alleviated by finding the ikigai who is sometimes hidden, pushed back and even silenced. It has the power to fill our lungs with air and give us back our will to live.
It is known, for example, that a large number of mood problems are alleviated when the person takes a personal commitment and does what he likes.
This set of positive thoughts and perceptions will be a buffer that protects us from suicidal thoughts, limiting perceptions and fears.
We also know that it is not easy to dedicate to ourselves our ikigai, our purpose in life.
The Japanese therefore remind us that we must be loyal and energetic warriors who fulfill a very specific goal: to maintain the integrity and love of life.
Your ikigai wants only one thing: to “shake off” your passivity
Sebastian Marshall is a famous writer who a few years ago gave us a book with this title.
When it comes to everything that has been published on this subject, it is this book that has had the greatest impact. It also stays away from some of our overused words and concepts that are associated with personal development.
The first lesson we must learn is not to try to achieve the same happiness that others “probably” have. This is mostly not real. If we are obsessed with not doing the same thing as those around us, we will be like 99% of the population.
If, on the other hand, we dare to act in accordance with our dreams and life goals, we will be unique. We will be among those 1% who try to achieve authentic life fulfillment.
And it can only be achieved in one way: by leaving our passivity behind and finding ikigai. Once we have clarified and defined this, several things will happen.
The first is that we will not conform to others, which is good.
The second is that we will eventually be aware of our own potential and transform it into “dynamite”.
How do I find my purpose in life?
This may seem like a funny question to many of our readers. Who does not know what his life purpose is? It may seem strange but it is not always clear. In fact, we sometimes have goals and ideals that may have been influenced by values that are not our own.
Influence from how we were brought up, our family and social environments shape us in a way that we are not fully aware of.
We must stop postponing the needs and passions that make us who we are and that can ultimately determine our path. It’s not easy but we have to do it.
We will now explain how to define your ikigai.
7 keys to shape your ikigai
Your ikigai is shaped by the mixture of four basic aspects: your passion, your vocation, your profession and your goal in life. These strategies will help you clarify these aspects:
- Stop living on autopilot: ask yourself daily what makes you happy.
- Do not compare yourself with others. Do not try to be the same as others. You are your own point of reference.
- We all have talent. We all have an amazing ability that sets us apart from others and we should take advantage of it. Make it your own and enjoy it.
- Ikigai is not just a life goal, but a way of life that must be felt here and now.
- It is something that gives us energy every morning and that becomes what we do every day and want to invest in to get better.
- Living according to our ikigai means that we set aside a large part of what is around us. We must therefore be aware that it takes courage.
- It is the opposite of passivity and following others. It demands everything from you and makes you feel alive, free and full of energy, regardless of your age or your physical condition, because it is above all a state of mind…
If you have not yet found your ikigai, that’s ok. Sometimes the awakening happens during your life journey in a way that makes it impossible to return.
This is the moment when you will have no choice but to follow it.
