How to find your ikigai

Introduction

Do you ever wonder about the meaning of life? How can you find purpose and meaning in your work and personal life? And is there a way to measure it? If so, I have some good news: there's a Japanese word that describes this search for fulfillment. It's called ikigai; it literally means "a reason to get up in the morning," but what we're really talking about is happiness.

Ikigai can take many forms — from staying active, volunteering, or having meaningful relationships — but it's different for each person. Here are some simple ways to discover yours:

Identify your passions and strengths.

You can't find your ikigai if you don't know what your passions, strengths, and talents are. So the first step is to identify them--and this can be done in a number of ways.

First, think back on times when you've felt most excited or engaged with life. What were some things that made those moments special? Do they involve working with people or nature? Creating something new or improving something old? Helping others to succeed? If so, then these might be some of your passions: things that bring joy into your life and energize you when they're present.

Define your personal values.

A value is a thing that's important to you, and which you want to be remembered for. It could be a personal value like "I am a good friend" or a professional one like "I love working with children."

Values can change over time--and some people don't have any at all! But even if your list of values seems small compared to others' lists, just having them written down means that they're more likely than ever before in your life to guide decisions.

If this sounds too vague or abstract, here are some examples:

• Being generous with my time and energy (personal)

• Making beautiful things (professional)

Make sure your choices are in line with your dreams.

You can always tell when someone's living out their ikigai by how they act and what they do.

If your choices are in line with your dreams, then you'll be happy and fulfilled. You'll feel like there's meaning in what you do every day, even when it feels like there isn't any at first glance.

It's important to make sure that the activities and relationships we engage in each day reflect our values as well as our personal goals; if not, then it may be time for some changes!

Look for opportunities to pursue your passions and interests -- as long as they're legal, ethical, and safe.

You don't have to be an expert or even know what your passion is at first. There are many ways to discover your ikigai: from hobbies like gardening or cooking to volunteering at a local food bank or community center. If you can't think of anything that interests you, consider taking classes in something new (like painting) or joining a club related to one of your passions (like yoga). The key here is finding opportunities where your interests intersect with other people's needs -- as long as they're legal, ethical, and safe!

Once again: if it doesn't feel right for any reason at all -- whether because there isn't enough time for it in your schedule; because it feels uncomfortable physically; or because there aren't any good opportunities available locally -- then move on! As long as whatever keeps popping up in these reflections fits into our definition above then keep going until something sticks!

Your ikigai is a unique identity that defines you.

Your ikigai is a unique identity that defines you. It's a combination of your passions, strengths, and values-and it's unique to you. Yours might be a job or hobby or life goal; it could also be something creative that helps make the world better in some way.

Whatever your ikigai looks like, when you're doing it regularly, work feels less like work and more like play; when you're doing what brings out your best self each day (and waking up excited about tomorrow), life feels more meaningful than ever before--which means that even when things aren't going so great right now (or ever), we have hope for our future selves because they'll likely have found their own version of "the one thing."

We hope that this blog has helped you identify your ikigai, and that it will motivate you to pursue the things that make your heart sing. Remember, life is short and there's no time like the present!

Discover your ikigai and explore how you can live a long and meaningful life with Juro Miru. Explore how we can help you here.