How To Find Your Ikigai And Transform Your Outlook On Life
Recently I read the book “Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life” by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. In this brilliant book I discovered a concept of I’ve been unconsciously searching for my entire life. The concept is called Ikigai, and it is a Japanese term that roughly translates to “reason for being.”
I was immediately intrigued and set about learning everything I could about this framework and how it applies to my life.
What is Ikigai?
Ikigai (pronounced “eye-ka-guy”) is, above all else, a lifestyle that strives to balance the spiritual with the practical.
The Japanese word “ikigai” means a “life purpose” or “raison d’être.” Ikigai refers to defining your personal meaning of life in relation to your talents, passions, and profession, as well as what you can give to the wider world.
This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.
Discovering your Ikigai
One of the many mistakes I’ve made in my life was believing that money led to fulfillment. That’s largely why I got my degree in business management.
When I think back on those days, I can’t help but think “you can play the game and you can act out the part, even though you know it wasn’t written for you.”
It never felt right, but I thought that if I had money, then I could have an impact on the world.
What I learned, however, that you will never feel satisfied until you will follow your passion and live your life how it feels right for you.
To discover you Ikigai, you must first find what you’re most passionate about. Then, you find the medium through which you can express that passion.
Here is my Ikigai example:
What I am passionate about is finding and creating beauty, quality, authenticity, making people feeling happy and relaxed and inspire them live up to their highest potential.
Cassandra Eden is a medium through which I can take these passions, apply them to the people and things that the world needs, and get a financial reward in the process.
Ikigai is about finding joy, fulfillment and balance in the daily routine of life and understanding that everything is connected.
At the intersection of all of this are feelings of peace and lasting happiness that can sustain us throughout our entire lives.
I wish everyone to find Ikigai in 2023!
Because now as never before the world is in need of happy and balanced people to lighten up the way to the better future and open up the best of our potential!
With love,
Cassandra
