The Philosophy of Ikigai: A Popular Yet Widely Misunderstood Japanese Concept
No, you don’t need to achieve “four components” to reach Ikigai
What is your reason for being?
There’s an age-old Japanese concept referring to our never-ending quest for “reason for being” called Ikigai.
As an ideology, Ikigai is often linked to the topic of self-discovery, as it helps you find your life’s values, meaning, or purpose. It helps you find the reason you get up in the morning.
I discovered Ikigai when I was at one of the lowest points in my life.
At that time, like the other 23-year-olds, I felt like I was destined to lose. I couldn’t find any good reasons to wake up in the morning. And I didn’t know who I was going to be.
Maybe I lacked clarity, vision, or goals. Or maybe it was a phase where I am forced by conditions and have chosen to grow as a person. I thought I was the most depressed person in the world. But now I know it was just normal teenage life.
Thanks to Ikigai (and myself), I was able to take the pressure off and get back on my feet.
However, it took me almost a year to find the real meaning behind Ikigai, in the price of losing myself.
