” ‘Ikigai’ is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one’s life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.’ ~Source Wikipedia
It is safe to say everyone has faced difficulties, challenges and demons within themselves for much of 2020 due to the unforeseen and unchartered waters we have all been navigating. Nobody could have prepared each of us for this trying period. I am certain we have all learnt much about ourselves, discovered strengths we didn’t know we had, and truly understood the resilience within the human spirit and soul. Some were broken and defeated, and some were battered to their knees but found a new found strength and reason to rise – ‘He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.’ ~ Nietzsche. An apt quote that resonated loud and clear within me for this aforementioned period. It brings me to the introduction of my ramble, Ikigai. Many may not be familiar with this beautiful Japanese phrase. I will do my best to summarise it as succinctly as possible.
The Japanese have embodied this phrase and way of life down to a fine art. The word is derived form the words, ‘Ikiru’, which means “to live”, and ‘kai’, which means “the sensation of what hopes for”. Basically creating the term a reason to live, and realising your true purpose in this world. We have all fallen into the trap of owning the biggest home, the most luxury of cars, and leading a lavish lifestyle for all to envy. It is after all the beautiful lie that society the world over sells us all, over and over again, generation after generation, and dupes us into believing this is the true definition of success.
Realising and identifying your Ikigai can most simply be broken down into the following four steps:
-What do I love? (Passion)
-What am I good at? (Vocation)
-What can I be paid for? (Profession)
-What does the world need? (Mission)
Ikigai is basically the divergence of these four questions. Sometimes the world needs exactly what you are skilled at, but you may be slightly uncertain about it’s place and value in the world (queue society’s dictatorship). To assist us in identifying and finding our very own Ikigai, Ken Mogi, a renowned neuroscientist and author, established these five questions to help cast a light on the ever elusive Ikigai.
1. Starting small.
2. Accepting yourself.
3. Connecting with the world around you.
4. Seeking out small joys.
5. Being in the here and now.
It might sound simple and too good to be true, but it is precisely that! Life is wholly simple. The world and more accurately society has found a devilish way of creating doubt within ourselves and leading us further away from our souls purpose and true calling, thus complicating our minds and our thought patterns. If we take a moment each day to go over these five aforementioned questions, I can almost guarantee you that each person will find their true calling and live their life to their very own Ikigai drum. Sure it will take time, but it will at the very least start the process. ‘One step at a time is good walking’
I found my Ikigai as a child. I went through the mill of the worlds ‘money machine’, and came out worse for wear, and albeit a bit lost and disillusioned. Not realising that my happiness and ‘Ikigai’ was firmly in place from a child. Adults love to ‘teach’ children and point them in the directions they ought to be heading. Always knowing better. Isn’t it a strange dynamic to consider that maybe children are wiser and more in tune with life than the adults? They have not been tainted by the world and her all important ‘noise’ as of yet, and are in true alignment with their hearts and most importantly, their souls.
It is never too late to live your life’s purpose authentically and happily. Never. I admire people who have lived this way. I know many, and they are the people I idolise and look up to most in life. Not the millionaire businessman in his cold, empty mansion, or the capitalist with many possessions that he will not enjoy in his lifetime. My wish is that every person at least tries to identify their Ikigai, and give it a chance to see where it takes them. My Ikigai is quite obvious for even the blind man to see. I call it, ‘The Art Of Life’.
What is yours?”
*Note; I wrote this in the middle of the plandemic of 2020, facing insurmountable stresses and obstacles, but it was a beautiful time too, as it coaxed me into believing in myself and my dream, by doubling down and going all in. The accompanying photo was too taken in that period of deep reflection and toiling on those medicinal slopes day in and day out, getting to the crux of my life and accepting myself for who I truly am. L-R: Arturo, Aera, Alba of Ourano.