The Japanese art of cultivating a purposeful life

What gets you out of bed each morning and propels you forward? Do you want to find more meaning in what you do? Discovering and living in alignment with your personal ikigai is a way to harness the Japanese secret to a meaningful, long and joy-filled life.

- LOLITA WALTERS

The quest for meaning in life is something that humans have pursued as far back as we have scripture. From philosophers and artists to your own quiet moments or dinner table conversations, the questions continually surface for individuals: “What is the meaning of my life?”, “How do I find my passion?”, “Can I wake up with joy for what I do each day?” and “What is the secret to longevity?” Turning to the wisdom of the Japanese culture, the mysteriously beautiful yet pragmatic concept of ikigai is a time-proven compass, stemming from ancient tradition to modern day application, to cultivate a long life of purpose and happiness — and you can apply it to your earthly experience too.

The meaning of ikigai

Ikigai ( ) is composed of Japanese characters that translate to “life” and “to be worthwhile”, or the overarching meaning of “a reason for being”. It is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose in life. Ikigai is your reason to wake up in the morning and have the willingness to do something. When thinking of ikigai, it may be helpful to envision it as the feeling rather than the thing. In this way, ikigai is too elusive and diverse to pin down into a rigid dictionary definition. It is the incentive of doing things to fulfil your purpose and imbibe meaning into each moment of your existence, and is as unique as each individual who holds it.

The four elements of ikigai