Ikigai: Find The Purpose & Change Your Life

We all have a reason for being on Earth. It is called Ikigai. It is the reason why you are here, the reason why you are alive. It is your purpose.

Ikigai is about living with joy and gratitude while embracing change and challenges as they come your way. Ikigai is a Japanese word that roughly translates to “reason for being.” It is not just about living life but more about living life to the fullest. 

People with Ikigai are more satisfied with their lives, they are more likely to enjoy what they do, and they are more likely to be successful at it.

What Is Ikigai?

Ikigai is a Japanese term meaning “a reason for being.” It is the thing that makes you get out of bed in the morning, your purpose. It is not about what you do but instead why you do it.

The concept of Ikigai was first introduced by the Japanese philosopher Yoshida Kenkō in 1330. He believed that all human beings have an Ikigai, and essential to find it.

Ikigai is why one would want to wake up in the morning and go to work. It is something that drives us forward.

To know more in detail and implement the essence of Ikigai in your life, you need to find the right resources.

A book authored by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles titled “Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life.” This book may act as the best resource for this ancient Japanese technique. 

The book explains the term Ikigai by dividing it into two parts: “Iki” stands for life,” and “Gai” means, value and worth. The book talks about the various aspects of life and helps the reader go through the thought process that encourages them to find the real purpose of life. 

Why Do You Need A Purpose?

Here is a question why do you need a purpose? There are several reasons, and one of them is to achieve contentment or satisfaction. To become content at a point in life, you need a purpose of living.

It can be personal, professional, individual, social, religious, spiritual, or anything else that comes to your mind, but choosing a purpose is essential. Finding a purpose in our lives is the main challenge we face. So, let’s go & try to find – however, finding a purpose isn’t a one-time task, it’s something to be done persistently for life! 

How & What To Do?

Everything I explained to you above may sound very confusing. What is the meaning of Japanese life philosophy terms? How are they relatable to your life? Why are we talking a lot about finding a purpose at this time when you are already bottlenecked with your daily work? 

The answer to all of these questions is Ikigai. Following the Ikigai method will help you find the purpose of your life, and it will give you absolute satisfaction when you are making efforts towards a real-life goal. 

Finding the purpose of your life is not an easy task. Knowing what you want out of life can be challenging and even more challenging to make it happen. But, when you find the meaning and purpose in your life, it can change everything.

Follow Ikigai Method

The Ikigai method is a way to find your purpose in life by answering the following four questions:

• What are you passionate about?
• What do you spend most of your time doing?
• What are you good at?
• What problems do you solve?

Answering these four questions might help you define the purpose of your life.

Conclusion

Ikigai is a Japanese term that is very popular because it helps you to live a meaningful life. The majority of people are not satisfied with their life. It is not just because they don’t do anything purposeful, but because of having no purpose in life.

At the end of the day, it is not about the destination; it is all about the journey! If you live every day with a purpose, your life journey will become more interesting, making you more happy and satisfied.

– Pankaj Rai