What Is Ikigai?
We have all experienced a situation where the future seems uncertain, the present conflicted, and the past staged as a pessimistic backdrop. Questions of where we are, where we wish to be, and our sense of direction in life can be plaguing. The Japanese philosophy of ikigai means your “reason for being.” “Iki” in Japanese means “life” and “gai” describes value or worth. Therefore, your ikigai is essentially your life purpose or your bliss – the motivation behind each person to wake up in their morning, heading out to face new challenges. The purpose of this concept is to provide the tools to illuminate a path and a way of life that covers all the bases of living a successful modern life. It is a tool to fully immerse into your current pursuits, whether it be work, family, or even hobbies. There is a quest to find a state of flow – falling into a rhythm of effortless action by combining the four necessary ingredients the Ikigai philosophy suggests:
- What you love
- What you are good at
- What you can be paid for
- What the world needs
Once these four areas are combined, the state of ikigai is achieved, and the state of flow is adapted. The philosophy suggests adopting this mindset. We mitigate feelings of being trapped in the work we perform or feelings of uselessness and failure, losing the ability to plague minds as the individual has achieved personal and professional fulfilment.
Consequently, the philosophy suggests that ikigai is a mindset that needs to be pursued. It is not static and has to be adapted to the changing circumstances as well as internal mindset shifts of the individual. Therefore, it resonates in focusing on the journey and not the destination. The case study of the centenarians on the small island of Okinawa, Japan perfectly demonstrates the state of ikigai. The island is one of the five blue zones in the world, consisting of one of the highest concentrations of centenarians. They practice the tenants of ikigai within their daily lives and routines, developing resilience and changing mindsets to situations outside their control, practicing healthy eating, exercise, and professional fulfilment and satisfaction. Researchers suggest the positive benefits of adopting the ikigai persona contributing to their records of extraordinary longevity.