Ikigai finding my purpose

What is your Ikigai?

According to the Japanese, everyone has an Ikigai. An Ikigai is essentially ‘a reason to get up in the morning’. A reason to enjoy life.

Having spent most of the last few years helping dozens and dozens of people and entrepreneurs find their Ikigai, whilst also searching for my own, I can now visualize where it lays. In 2014 I had found this inspiring TED talk of Marc Winn that I’d like to share with you.

Your Ikigai lies at the heart center of those interconnecting circles. It usually connects to what your heart most desire!

If you are lacking in one area, you are missing out on your life’s potential. Not only that, but you are missing out on your chance to live a long and happy life.

I have had a long time obsession with outliers, and interestingly enough, there are some outlier communities in the world that live far longer than average. If you are interested in learning more about this, watch Dan Buettner’s TED talk on How to Live to 100+. There are some surprising conclusions about the factors that create a long and healthy life. One of the most significant factors is Ikigai.

These days, my reason for getting out of bed is to work on projects that reimagine society and education. For someone who spent decades struggling to find a reason to get out of bed, it is now a refreshing change to have this deep sense of purpose. My health and well-being have radically improved during recent years, too. The primary reason for this has not been the healthy choices I have made or the diets I have followed, but because I now live with a sense of purpose – and that is the platform for all the other decisions I make.

The secret to a long and happy life is not to live in the hope of a great life tomorrow. It is to live with intention today. What I love is that this is possible not only at the individual level, but entire communities can learn from it, as well.