What's Your Ikigai?

The other day while I was surfing the internet I came across a word that really intrigued me Ikigai (EE_KEE_GUY)

Well, as you've probably guessed, Ikigai is a Japanese word and it roughly translates into “a reason for being”, the reason that you wake up every morning, the meaning to your life.

Everyone has an Ikigai.

Okay, so this is a cool Japanese word, what’s the big deal right? Well, figuring out your “reason for being” seems a little abstract, maybe even daunting. I think it’s something we all ought to think about sometimes. We all have an ikigai, but maybe we just haven’t put it into words yet! Interestingly enough, I came across a study called the Ohsaki study, which found that individuals who did not find their sense of ikigai were associated with increased rates of mortality! That’s a little scary isn’t it? What’s even more interesting is that, a separate study called the Tsurugaya (don’t ask me to pronounce that!) project, found that having a stronger ikigai is significantly correlated with a lower risk of incident functional disability! Studies also show that individuals that found their ikigai have less stress, are happier and live longer!

Okay, so this is a super abstract, intangible concept right? Maybe not as intangible as you thought! Here’s how you can find your ikigai!

The diagram above depicts the factors you need to look at, in order to find your ikigai! Take a piece of paper and draw your own circles. Fill in the words for each circle to discover where they overlap. See how all the aspects of your life connect and overlay to create your ikigai.

Write back and let me know what you discovered! What’s your ikigai?