You wake with the sunrise, a sense of purpose propelling you out of bed. Your ikigai, your reason for being, calls you to action. Every day you pursue work that motivates and fulfills you, that contributes value to the world, and that you find meaningful. You feel most alive when passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect. This place of convergence is your ikigai.
Within each person lies an ikigai waiting to be discovered. It is not a final destination but an ongoing journey of growth and evolution. Your ikigai emerges at the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
How to Find Your Ikigai? Finding your ikigai requires introspection, patience, and a willingness to try new paths. But the rewards of increased well-being, vitality, and connection to something greater than yourself make the effort worthwhile. Your ikigai is within you, waiting to be awakened. Follow your innate talents, values, and motivations to find your reason for being.
Table of Contents
What Is Ikigai? The Japanese Concept of Finding Life’s Purpose
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “reason for being.” It encompasses your passion, mission, vocation, and profession. Finding your ikigai means discovering your purpose and the reason you get up in the morning.
To uncover your ikigai, start by reflecting on what excites or energizes you. What activities make you lose track of time? For many, creative pursuits like art, music, writing, or gardening are deeply fulfilling. For others, helping professions or community service ignite their passion.
Dig deeper to find the mission or purpose behind your passion. How does that activity contribute value to the world or help others in a meaningful way? Your mission could be to educate, inspire, heal, or build. Aligning your passion and mission will lead to work that motivates and fulfills you.
Your vocation or profession must allow you to express your passion and purpose. Don’t be afraid to switch jobs or careers to better incorporate your ikigai. While jobs provide security, following your ikigai provides life satisfaction and meaning.
To live according to your ikigai, start each day by appreciating life’s beauty and meaning. Practice mindfulness through activities like meditation, journaling, or forest bathing. Express gratitude for the simple things and open your heart to life’s wonders.
Make time for your passion and purpose, even in small ways. Staying in touch with your ikigai will keep you centered and provide clarity of thought. While life presents challenges, remembering your ikigai helps you overcome obstacles with courage and grace.
Discovering and nurturing your ikigai is a lifelong journey. But living according to your passion and purpose is the surest path to happiness and well-being. The more you follow your ikigai, the more radiant your life will become.
Uncover Your Passions: What Do You Love?
To find your ikigai, you have to uncover what really motivates and energizes you. What are you passionate about? What excites you and gives you a sense of purpose?
Spend time reflecting on the activities, subjects, and interests that you love. Things that spark your creativity and make you lose track of time Some possibilities:
- Helping others in a meaningful way Do you love volunteering or participating in charity work?
- A hobby like photography, gardening, or woodworking. Pursuing a craft or skill that challenges you
- Traveling and exploring new places. Gaining a deeper understanding of different cultures and ways of life.
- A particular field of study or area of expertise. Continuously learning and expanding your knowledge on a subject that fascinates you
Your passions are unique to you, so dig deep. Don’t be swayed by what society or your family expects of you. Your ikigai emerges at the intersection of what you’re good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs.
Uncovering your passions is the first step to finding purpose and meaning. Nurture the activities and subjects that spark your creativity and fill you with positive energy. Make time for them each day, even in small ways. Share them with others. Let your passions inspire you to take action and gain momentum.
Move through life with passion and purpose. Have the courage to follow your dreams and pursue the things that motivate you at a soul level. That is the path to finding your ikigai.
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Identify Your Talents: What Are You Good At?
To find your ikigai, start by identifying your talents—the things you are inherently good at.
What skills and abilities come easily to you? What have you always excelled at without much effort? Your talents are gifts that were given to you, not anything you earned or achieved through hard work and practice.
Some examples of talents could be:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Do you connect easily with others? Are you adept at navigating difficult conversations?
- Creativity. Do you have an artistic eye or a knack for coming up with innovative ideas?
- Analytical and problem-solving abilities. Are you skilled at spotting patterns, evaluating information objectively, and finding solutions?
- Athleticism or physical abilities. Do sports, dance, or outdoor activities come naturally to you?
Your talents provide clues to your ikigai because they represent activities that energize and fulfill you. When you utilize your talents, time passes quickly, and you feel invigorated. Identifying them may require self-reflection and input from close ones who know you well. Look for talents you displayed as a child or areas where you achieved a state of flow.
Once you recognize your talents, look for ways to apply them through your work or hobbies. Your ikigai emerges when you can spend a substantial amount of time expressing your talents in a meaningful way. It may take experimenting with different paths to find the right outlet, but stay determined.
You have unique skills and abilities within you just waiting to be tapped into. Make discovering and nurturing your talents a priority. They lead to opportunities that energize and motivate you, which in turn help you achieve your full potential and life’s purpose. Keep searching, and the clues will reveal your ikigai.
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Find Your Mission: How Can You Help Others?
Finding your ikigai means discovering your purpose and mission in life. An important part of this journey is determining how you can contribute value to the world by helping others.
Look Within to Find Your Gifts.
What are you uniquely gifted at? What talents or skills do you possess that can benefit those around you? Some of your gifts may be more obvious, while others are hidden and waiting to be uncovered. Take time for self-reflection to better understand your inherent abilities, passions, and strengths. These attributes point to ways you can potentially help and inspire people.
How Can You Improve Lives?
Once you recognize your gifts, think about how they can be used to improve the lives of others in a meaningful way. For example, if you’re a gifted communicator, you may find purpose in advocating for important causes or empowering people through public speaking. If you have a talent for teaching, you could help by mentoring students or creating educational content. There are endless possibilities, so let your mind explore without self-judgement.
Start Small and Build From there.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding your life’s grand purpose. Start with small acts of service that utilize your gifts and build from there. You may volunteer your time for a local charity, offer to help neighbors in need, teach skills to kids in your community, call on elderly relatives and friends, pick up litter in your neighborhood, or find other simple ways to make a difference.
Discovering your mission is a journey of compassion, generosity, and perseverance. While the path isn’t always clear, listen to your heart and keep taking steps forward. Have patience and faith that your purpose will reveal itself through helping others in your own unique way. You have special gifts that only you can offer the world. Now go out and use them!
Look for Your Profession: What Can You Get Paid For?
Finding your ikigai means discovering your passion and purpose—what motivates you to get out of bed each morning. An important step is identifying what you can get paid for—your profession. This may align with an existing job or point you to a new career path.
Look Within
First, look inward at your interests, values, and strengths. What excites or energizes you? What are you good at? Maybe you love solving complex problems, teaching others, or building things with your hands. Your ikigai emerges from the intersection of what you’re skilled at, what you care about, and what the world needs.
Brainstorm Options
Once you have insight into yourself, brainstorm professions or jobs that align with your passions and talents. Don’t limit yourself. Come up with a big list, then pare it down to the most inspiring choices. Some examples could be:
- Software engineer
- Nonprofit program director
- Small business owner
- Freelance writer
- Life coach
Do Your research.
Learn more about a few of the top professions on your list. Study the responsibilities, required skills and education, salary potential, growth opportunities, and day-to-day realities. Does the role truly match your values and motivations? Will it give you a sense of purpose or impact?
Take Action
Pick one or two professions to actively explore. You might shadow someone currently in that job, take an online course to build relevant skills, volunteer, or get formal training. Take small steps to gain experience and determine if the work ignites your passion.
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Finding a profession that aligns with your ikigai is key. Look within,open your mind to possibilities, do your research, and take action. Your purpose will become clear as you explore. Don’t settle for a job that simply pays the bills—find work you care deeply about that motivates you to jump out of bed each day. Discover your ikigai!
The Sweet Spot of Ikigai: Where Your Passions, Talents, Mission, and Profession Intersect
To find your ikigai, look for where your greatest passions intersect with your talents, mission, and profession. This is your “sweet spot, the place where work doesn’t feel like work. It energizes and fulfills you and gives you a sense of purpose and meaning.
- Your Passions: What excites or motivates you? What could you do for hours and lose track of time? Your passions are the activities that ignite your creativity and flow. They are intrinsically rewarding.
- Your Talents: What are you good at? What skills or abilities come naturally to you? Your talents are your innate gifts and strengths. Identify them by thinking about what you pick up quickly or what others frequently ask for your help with.
- Your Mission: What are you here to contribute? How do you want to serve others or make a positive difference? Your mission is your purpose and the impact you want to have. It motivates you to get out of bed in the morning.
- Your Profession: What work do you do that provides value to others? How do you practically apply your skills and talents? Your profession is how you choose to earn a living and structure your time.
When these four areas converge, you have found your ikigai. It may take time, introspection, and trial and error. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t pinpoint it immediately.
Stay open-minded about how your ikigai may evolve or take unexpected turns. Opportunities you never imagined may unfold. Have faith that as you follow your passions and talents in service of others, your life’s purpose will be revealed. Your ikigai is not a fixed endpoint but an ongoing journey of discovery.
Nurture your ikigai through continuous learning and growth. Make choices each day that align with your purpose and bring you meaning. Your ikigai will sustain you through challenges and give you a sense of vitality in all areas of life. Keep following it, and you’ll find your bliss.
Tips to Help You Discover Your Ikigai
How to Find Your Ikigai? Discovering your ikigai is a journey of self-reflection and growth. Though the path may not always be clear, follow these tips to help guide you:
Examine your core values, priorities, interests, and skills. What excites or energizes you? What are you good at? What do you find most meaningful? Your ikigai lies at the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs.
Try New things.
Experiment with different activities, hobbies, courses, or jobs that spark your curiosity. Step outside your routine and comfort zone. You may uncover hidden talents or passions, gaining insight into your ikigai. Keep an open and curious mindset.
Help Others
Think about ways you can contribute value to the world. How can you use your skills and talents to help people in a meaningful way? Helping others is a great path to finding purpose and fulfillment.
Reflect Often
Make time for regular self-reflection. Journal about your values, experiences, and insights. Meditate or do mindfulness practices like yoga or Tai Chi. Talk to others about their life purpose and what gave them a sense of meaning or motivation. Reflection leads to clarity and wisdom.
Don’t Rush
Discovering your ikigai is a lifelong process. Be patient and kind to yourself. Don’t pressure yourself into finding the “right” answer immediately. Your purpose may evolve and change over time. Have faith that the journey itself will lead you to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Finding your ikigai requires an open and inquisitive spirit. By looking within, gaining wisdom through experience, and nurturing your connection to others, your life’s purpose will gradually come into focus. Purpose gives life deep meaning—keep seeking, and you will find your ikigai.
Stories of Ikigai: Inspiring Examples From Around the World
Here are two stories of IKIGAI to help you discover your ikigai:
The Surfer’s Ikigai
“The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun.” For surfer, Bethany Hamilton, her passion for riding the waves is what gives her life deep meaning and purpose. At just 13 years old, Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack while surfing. Despite this immense challenge, her ikigai—the joy of surfing—remained. Through hard work and perseverance, Bethany was able to re-learn how to surf and turn pro, winning several championships.
- Bethany’s story shows us that our ikigai can motivate us to overcome setbacks and push on against all odds. When we follow our passion, life’s difficulties seem more surmountable.
The Nonagenarian Marathoner
At age 92, Harriette Thompson became the oldest woman to complete a marathon. In her long life, Harriette faced many hardships, including the loss of her husband and brother. But her ikigai—running—has been her source of energy and vitality. Harriette ran her first marathon at age 76 and holds multiple records as the oldest female marathon runner.
- Harriette’s inspiring story demonstrates that age is just a number. When we pursue our life’s purpose, we can achieve amazing feats at any stage of life. Her ikigai has kept her active, optimistic, and youthful well into her 90s.
Messages of Hope
These stories of ikigai remind us that life’s meaning is deeply personal. Our passion and purpose may be surfing, running, teaching, volunteering, or any number of other pursuits. What matters most is that we never stop searching for and following our ikigai. It is the source of our motivation, energy, creativity, and inner strength. Our ikigai gives life deep meaning, keeps us young at heart, and lights our way even in the darkest of times. May we all be fortunate enough to uncover our ikigai.
References
- 5 Best Ikigai Books to Live a Meaningful Life [+ Summaries] 7 Jan 2021 by Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D. Scientifically reviewed by Maike Neuhaus Ph.D published in Positive Psychology
- What is Ikigai and How Can It Change Your Life? by JD
- The Japanese Formula For Happiness – Ikigai – VIDEO
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