Have
you found fulfillment in your life? Do you know where to search for it? Have you
heard about ikigai?
Read
on! I loved this article by Paula Rizzo!
Image and article from
“What
do you do in a typical week?
- Go to work
- Spend time with your family
- Read
- Meditate
- Have drinks with friends…
It’s
important to have a good balance of work and play, social time and alone time.
But at the end of the day, what’s it all for?
There
are hundreds of self-help books on how to find your passion or change career
path to something more inspiring.
But
as my friend Terri would say, window cleaners don’t have that job
because they have a passion for clean glass. There’s a certain level of
practicality to what we do as well as a need to be financially stable.
So
how do we find fulfillment?
The
answer can be found on a small Japanese island which is said to be home to the
largest population of people who have lived to be 100 years old.
This
is largely attributed to the concept of ikigai.
Okinawans
use it as their way of life and I was introduced to the concept as I’m doing
research for my new book, “Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a
Less Stressed You”
Ikigai
is the joining together of four primary elements:
- What you love
- What the world needs
- What you are good at
- What you can get paid for
When
you bring together these four elements it leads to a feeling of fulfillment,
which increases happiness and longevity. To follow ikigai you don’t have to
immediately quit your job or make any other drastic life changes. Ikigai is
more about following the path towards your ultimate fulfillment.
So
how can you get closer to your Ikigai? Try to incorporate more of the following
into your day to day:
New
opportunities – A
large part of ikigai is the idea of following what brings you that sense of
fulfillment, by taking opportunities that match with the four tenants above.
You might take up dance classes. This brings out a talent you didn’t realize you had or could introduce you to someone who helps you with a new
opportunity. It’s not about taking on as many opportunities as possible but
simply seeking out the things that you enjoy.
Go
with your gut – Do
you ever have one of those days where you’ve planned everything out, but your
gut is telling you to go a different route? Sometimes that gut
instinct can save your life. Your instincts are there to lead you to
where you need to go. Much like seeking out opportunities, finding ikigai often
come from following an instinctive path, rather than doing what you feel like
you should be doing. Change should come from within not an external source.
Take
it easy – So you haven’t reached
your true harmony – or your ikigai just yet! And you might not get their next
week either. In the rush to find your fulfillment you could let life pass you
by. Trust that within time you will find what’s right for you. I worked for
nearly 20 years as a news producer before I changed direction and
starting teaching people how to build their media presence.
For a few years before I left Fox News Channel I had people telling me I should
go freelance, but I waited for what felt like the right time. I’m glad I did!
If you’re always looking to the future you can miss out on the now!
Have
you found your Ikigai?”
What did
you think? Drop me a line!
great tips
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