Have you found your ikigai?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Proper ikigai helps you live a long and fulfilling life. The main thing is to find him.

Researcher Dan Buettner, with the support of National Geographic, conducted research for five years to identify and study special places on earth, which he called "blue zones". These are some areas in which there is an increased concentration of centenarians. In the course of this work, scientists tried to identify those patterns of nutrition, culture, behavior that allow local residents to live much longer than in other countries.

One of these specific places is on the small island of Okinawa. In Japan, in general, there is a fairly high percentage of centenarians, but their concentration on Okinawa exceeds all limits. The average life expectancy here for men is 88 years, for women - 92 years.

Yes, the local food set consists mainly of fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits. Yes, physical activity and Eastern spiritual practices are very common here. But there is also a very special phenomenon that distinguishes this area from the rest of Japan and the whole world. They call it ikigai.

Once a woman was dying in a small Japanese town. At some point, she felt that her soul leaves the body, rises up and appears before the spirits of her ancestors. A loud voice asked her: "Who are you?"

"I am the mayor's wife," she replied.

“I’m not asking who your husband is. Tell me who are you?"

“I am a mother of four children. I am a teacher at school."

"Did I ask how many children you have or where do you work?"

And so it went on until she said: "I am the one who wakes up every day in order to help my family and teach children at school."

After that, she returned to her body and the disease receded.

She found her ikigai.

What is ikigai?

The Japanese concept of ikigai is rather difficult to unambiguously translate into Russian, but it can be roughly deciphered as "something that gives meaning to life, something that makes us wake up every morning with joy." In other words, ikigai is an oriental elegant and compact definition of your main interest, the work that brings joy to your life.

Although the Japanese of Okinawa have managed to make this concept a part of their philosophy, it cannot be said that ikigai is completely unknown in the west. We have met his followers more than once, especially among those people who have managed to achieve a lot in their lives.

We could hardly wait in the morning to get back to work.

Wilbur Wright, inventor of the airplane

Do only what you love the most. This will definitely lead you to success! Every morning I looked at myself in the mirror and asked: If today was the last day of my life, would I like to do what I am doing today? And if the answer was “no” for many days in a row, then I need to change something.

Steve Jobs, Apple founder

- Pooh! When you wake up in the morning, - said Piglet at last, - what do you say to yourself first of all?

- What do we have for breakfast? said Pooh. - And you, Piglet, what are you talking about?

- I say: "I wonder what interesting will happen today?" - said Piglet.

Piglet, just a pig

Okay, Piglet may not be the greatest piglet, but this character's words contain a good definition of ikigai.

It is the interest in life, the desire to immediately get down to business and carry it out in the best possible way, that gives people a sense of their own worth, a sense of satisfaction and the meaning of life.

Those people who know their ikigai are unfamiliar with depression, they maintain an optimistic attitude towards life and are not subject to destructive habits. Therefore, for every person who wants to live a long and meaningful life, it is so important to find a reason for yourself to get up in the morning.

How do I find my ikigai?

Starting your main business will require you, possibly, a significant investment of time and energy. You will have to make a meaningful and important decision, and it is a pity that many people realize its necessity too late.

The sooner you start looking for your ikigai, the sooner you will begin to feel calm and fulfilled in your life. Here are some questions the answers to which will help you in your search.

• Achievements. What achievements in your life do you consider the most valuable? Take a piece of paper and write down 2-3 of your things that you are really proud of. This can be a good starting point for finding your ikigai.
• Knowledge. What are your specific knowledge and skills? What do you consider yourself a specialist in? What are you happy to talk about, on what topic do you read literature? What sites do you visit most often in your free time?
• Feel … Working in the field you know is essential to your career success. But if you want to find happiness, then you have to do what you love. Your ikigai don't care too much about your business success if it's not backed up by joy in your heart. This is what you need to pay attention to in the first place.
• Self-esteem … Where do you see yourself in your dreams? Are you a teacher, lawyer, mother, scientist, book publisher, farmer? Perhaps it is your assessment of your future that can be the lens that will help focus all your efforts.
• Personality … There are no alike people in the world, and completely different types of work are suitable for different personalities. Knowing your personality type, you will understand why some activities bring you great pleasure, while others do not touch a single string of your soul.

You can use a special map to search for ikigai, which shows that your main business is located at the intersection of what you most want and what you do best.

And I would like to end this article with one more quote from a person about whom one can absolutely say that he not only found his calling, but also followed it all his life.

You have to find what you love. And finding your favorite job is as necessary as finding your loved one. Work will take up a very large part of your life, and the only way to get real job satisfaction is to do it perfectly, knowing it.

And the only way to do a great job is to love it. If you haven't found your favorite thing yet, keep looking. Don't stop looking until you find it.

As in everything else, to which your heart lies, you will immediately understand that you have found what you were looking for. And as with any great relationship, your passion for your work will only increase over time. So keep looking and don't rest until you find it.

Steve Jobs

Have you found your ikigai yet?