It’s a Japanese secret to a long and happy life which is well drafted and recommended for the book lovers. The simplified view of life is well described by a pie diagram where one may find answers within themselves and add meaning to their life.
Ikigai is the union of 4 facts that unlocks the mystery of purpose of one’s life that most of us are seeking at some point in life.
- Passion — Something that drives you crazy and you can’t stop thinking or dreaming of it.
- Mission — Some sort of goal which can be visionary in most of the cases.
- Profession — Skill set related tasks for monetary gains.
- Vocation — Occupation that attracts you innately and draws your attention.
Ikigai provides answers to curious 4 significant questions from the above 4 facts:
- What you LOVE is a combination of PASSION and MISSION.
Try to note down the things that you enjoy doing or seek to learn, makes you calm or just plants a smile, something you look forward to invest time and energy and so on.
2. What you are GOOD AT is a combination of PASSION and PROFESSION.
Try to note down activities you do in your free time, comes naturally to you, seems easy, can be a sort of achievement and so on.
3.What the World NEEDS is a combination of VOCATION and MISSION.
Try to note down your thoughts and ideas where you wish to contribute to the society and leave it behind for the world after your life.
4.What can you be PAID FOR is a combination of VOCATION and PROFESSION.
Try to note down your personal expenses and earnings, think over the kind of employment you wish for like owner, free-lancer, full-time or part-time; the work environment that makes you happy like working from home, own office, etc.; check out for opportunities that require the skills you have by looking over “What are you good at”.
P.S: I came across the concept of Ikigai in 2018 and tried to ponder over it by answering the four questions over the years where the answers were appended from time to time and the drive to find the purpose of my life was indeed a curious thought but eventually it helped me to be courageous and I explored the options over years where life kept on unfolding the paths giving me a valuable experience for life time. It’s been a wonderful experience over the years to answer these four questions and ponder over the meaning of life in a simplified way. It eventually motivated me to leave my job after almost 5 years of experience and honestly it was the toughest decision but my ikigai helped me to be confident and courageous over the process and taught me to believe in myself for the path less travelled where the journey so far is worth a lifetime.
I hope you find your Ikigai someday the way I discovered it over the years and be worthy to experience life to its fullest. Thanks for reading until end!
