IKIGAI: Japanese Philosophy of life
I’m writing this quick post on IKIGAI.
IKIGAI is a Japanese concept of living long and happy life.
It means: “A reason of being”
IKIGAI is a combination of 4 elements in life:
- Passion
- Mission
- Profession; and
- Vocation
Find your Passion by answering these 2 questions:
What do you love doing?
What you are good at?
Find your Mission by answering these 2 questions:
What you love doing?
What the world needs?
Find your Profession by answering these 2 questions:
What you are good at?
What you can be paid for?
Find your Vocation by answering these 2 questions:
What the world needs?
What you can be paid for?
My perception of IKIGAI:
I get to learn about IKIGAI in early 2019, through one of my mentor.
But I’ve realized that finding answers to these 4 questions are very challenging.
The biggest problem with the people is “Knowing Thyself!” or knowing ourselves :)
Answers to these question comes after a lot of trial and error.
So, I feel it is better to keep moving ahead by keeping these questions in mind and answering them along process of self discovery. Instead of answering them straightaway like examination questions, which was my earlier approach lol:)
What do you think of IKIGAI concept and these 4 questions?
I got the idea of writing this post from Randall (@FluffyDuck). So, thanks a lot Randall :)
Cheers everyone
Akshay
Recent Comments
16
Great post Akshay and thank you for the shout out. I'm a big fan of Japanese philosophies (Kaizen, Zazen, the Tea Ceremonies) which can be both simple and very profound at the same time.
Interesting that Passion is one of the 4 key elements of IKIGAI, just like here at WA. I will have to think on this some more and the questions you have posed - maybe over a good cup of tea. :)
Thanks, Randall. I'll also learn about other Japanese philosophies you have mentioned.
Thanks again for motivating me to write about IKIGAI :)
I am very familiar with IKIGAI and have a post written but not published. Well done, Akshay. You beat me to it... Ha! Ha!
IKIGAI is the Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Okinawa, where IKIGAI has it's origins is home to the largest population of centenarians in one place in the world.
Hi Stanley, I'm looking forward to your post as well. I'll learn more about IKIGAI from your post. :)
Thanks for your comment
Akshay
See more comments
It's a very good concept but as you say so well, it's a bit complex because we have journeys with ups and downs and our goals, our desires, our passions change throughout our life. So maybe do our IGIKAI on a specific period of our life while remaining elastic and being carried by the thread of the events of our lives. But it's a very nice way, to focus on a moment of our life.
Ingrid
Thanks Ingrid. Yes, it is a process to discover the answers to these deep questions.
Let me share with you how quickly I used to answer them sometime back:)
1. What do you love?
My Ans. Reading books, traveling and Music
2. What are you good at?
My Ans. Cricket :)
3. What you can be paid for?
My Ans. If I do well in my job :)
4. What does the world need?
My Ans. Money :)
Now, tell me do these answers make any sense?
That's why I decided to find their answers slowly steadily :)
Great!
By reading your answers, I can say that you are a sporty man who is ambitious and who likes to have fun. Then you are in the right place to manage to live a healthy lifestyle without financial problems while having a good time.