What gets you out of bed every day? In my case, it is two overzealous dogs, and I know what will happen if I don’t get up and at ‘em. Doesn’t mean I always want to. In fact, if they wake me before 8 am, I go back to bed. Especially in the winter. It’s dark and cold where I live, and who wants to get up and stare out the window at the mountains of snow in the backyard? That’s once the sun finally does come up. Of course, now it is getting much easier as the birds are chirping, the sun is out, and the day holds a bit of hope.
It is also easier to get up every day if you have ikigai. (pronounced ee-kee-gah-ee) Ikigai is a Japanese concept. In Japanese, ‘iki’ means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ means value or worth. In other words, it is your focus, your joy, and your passion. It is what feeds your soul and gives you a reason for living. Your ikigai fulfills you.
When we were younger, ikigai may have been our careers. It may have been our children. But now that we have retired and children have grown, we need to find our ikigai. It may be something small, like that perfect cup of coffee waiting for you. Or a musical instrument that you like to play every day. Perhaps it is your garden, or your pets, or your family and friends. Pickleball! Whatever makes you feel like getting up and diving into your day.
This has nothing to do with being a morning person. You can still bounce out of bed in the morning, throw back the curtains, and scream “Good morning, world!” and yet not feel quite fulfilled. It’s not quite the same as feeling excited about something.
As I’m writing this blog, I have the CBC on in the background. French Canadian comedian Rachid Badouri is talking about Denzel Washington and how he once said that anything that makes you feel excited, whether you have done it yet or would like to do it, is a confirmation from God that you should do it. He’s talking about finding your ikigai! Maybe he didn’t know it, but that’s what it’s all about.
If you’re not quite there yet, don’t despair. There are ways to find your ikigai:
1. Think about what makes you happy. What is most important to you in your life? What do you want to do? What are you passionate about?
2. Think about your past. What activities come to mind? What things made you happy? What activities did you enjoy the most?
3. What are you naturally good at? What comes easy to you? We all have special talents, even if we don’t put them to use.
4. Make a list of the answers you came up with for the first three points. Think about expanding on those things. Take a workshop, enroll in a class, or volunteer in the field. Or look up more on YouTube!
It is easy to list the benefits of having ikigai in life, especially after retirement. Having a purpose in life improves mental health and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other stress-related illnesses. Ikigai makes you feel better, physically and mentally. How could it not? Following your ikigai may also lead you to discover new things, meet new people, and, overall, enjoy life more.
So just do it! Find your ikigai. If you already know what it is, embrace it!
Interesting Reads & Things
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-189-blue-sky/clip/16136610-lessons-aging-japan
https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/03/ikigai_japanese_secret_to_a_joyful_life.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-find-your-ikigai-jayajit-dash
https://ikigaitribe.com/ikigai/the-ikigai-questionnaire/ (please note that this link eventually leads to a seven-module course. Only the first module is free. But it is still interesting.)
Wanderings Art 