“Ikigai” is a Japanese idea that integrates enjoyment, meaning, and purpose into a single precept. In Japanese, “iki” signifies “life”, and “gai” means “realization”. Finding your ikigai is similar to discovering your purpose, the thing that motivates you to face each new day. It’s often visualized as the intersection of four key elements:
1. What you love (your passions)
2. What you’re good at (your talents)
3. What you can get paid for (converting talent into a career)
4. What the world needs (meeting a demand and serving others)
Finding your ikigai involves deep self-reflection to determine your passions, talents, and values. It’s about finding work or activities that make you happy and fulfilled while also having a positive impact on the world. While the specific nature of your ikigai may change over time, the process of self-discovery is extremely beneficial.
Identifying your passions involves reflecting on activities that bring you happiness and fulfillment, such as creative pursuits, helping others, or solving problems, and recognizing what you naturally gravitate toward during your free time, like reading, hiking, or learning new skills. To recognize your strengths, consider tasks that come easily to you, whether they involve analytical thinking, empathy, or leadership, as well as skills you’ve developed through education, work, or hobbies, such as writing, coding, teaching, or artistic abilities.
Ikigai encourages a stronger connection with oneself and the world, which leads to higher happiness, less stress, and a better sense of well-being. It inspires people to live more real and meaningful lives, positively impacting both themselves and the world around them.
Penned By : Leo Prabhashi Karunarathna
