Find your Ikigai to make your mission statement

Introduction

At the chance of sounding like a self-help book, “Are you wandering, feeling a bit lost, and looking for a solution?” Well, I have the cure, just pay me $500… LOL! In reality, I was feeling like the above statement and was truly wandering, without much direction, until I was introduced to the concept of Ikigai. Now, I will be totally honest with you, I am not sure if Ikigai is a way-of-life, a philosophy, a concept, a practical guide to life, etc. Ikigai was introduced to me by a Jesuit Priest as he was reflecting upon his own life. While out at lunch, he shared his perspective and encouraged me to look into it for myself.

I get this sounds totally crazy, a Jesuit Priest introducing me to a word—that I am unsure if I can pronounce correctly—causing a spiral of events for myself after spending a few hours reading, listening, and learning about this word. Now, I am no expert on the subject, but I have dedicated at least 10-12 hours learning about the subject and more than I would like to admit thinking about the topic while wandering through the High Sierra in California.

Before this intro starts to drag,

Learning to Understand This Mysterious Word

After getting an introduction to the word, the first step was to understand. So, let’s dive into the word.

How do you say Ikigai?

As a westerner, I have no idea how to say this word! From the online translations, there is a general consensus the word should come out something like EE-KEY-GUY. That is the best I can do for you all. There is also a really solid Ted Talk on Ikigai where the speaker pronounces the word several times.

What is Ikigai?

Ikigai (ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that combines the terms iki, meaning “alive” or “life,” and gai, meaning “benefit” or “worth.”

Also, Ikigai can be loosely translated to “the reason for living.”

Why should you care—aka why keep reading?

If you are curious and want to learn how to look at this world through another lens, then this is an option. Ikigai can be another tool for yourself to become more self-aware. Also, if you are feeling off, the process to “find” your Ikigai is grounding as you will ask yourself a serious of questions and make lists about yourself, your skillset, and more.

Now, if you are skeptical because you feel great about yourself, then maybe this isn’t for you. However, I would make the argument that any opportunity to learn about yourself is worth the time. Heck you may learn something about yourself that unlocks that next step towards a long-term goal. At the worst, you wasted a couple more minutes of your life. Now, if you are Jeff Bezos, that would be expensive, but for most of us, this should be a fun activity.

How do YOU find YOUR Ikigai?

To “find” your Ikigai, you must put in some work. Well, actually a good amount of work. There is a process, so hopefully you have a journal, or something to write with, so that you can take notes and dive into yourself.

Learn about yourself by:

a) Making a list of what you love.

This list should include people, concepts, ideas, things, etc.

b) Make a list of what you can be paid for.

This list does not have be the things that you already are making money from, this could be a theory as well. For example, say you make sea-glass jewelry for yourself as a hobby… well maybe people would buy these and you could become a jewelry maker instead of an accountant.

c) Make a list of what are you good at.

Try not to overthink this one. What are you good at doing, making, sharing, connecting, etc. Don’t short yourself, we all know you are great at something!

d) Make a list of what the world needs.

What does this world need? What have you observed throughout your life that the world needs more of, make the list!

Ask the Following Questions:

-Where are the overlaps?

-What are the outliers?

-Is there anything that overlaps in all four categories; love, good at, world needs, and paid for?

-How does your heart differ from the voices in your head?

How I found mine and made a mission statement

Over the last couple of years, I have been working on this. Now, I will admit my attention has not been 100% given to this for years. Heck, I have given this the old college try, but the process has been helpful. Over that time, I took notes, journaled about these questions and made many lists. Eventually, I sat down and hashed out the final details. This is what it has turned out as:

“I would create a consistent message, with practical tactics, to motivate and awaken others from life's entrapments through photography and writing about adventure, nature, travel, and open ended questions.”

Now, I decided to take the step of turning my Ikigia into a mission statement. This might be a very western approach, but, none-the-less, this was a helpful opportunity for myself.

Conclusion

I hope you found this helpful, informative, or, at the very least, got something out of skimming this blog post. In the end, this is your life and you should live it as you please. There shouldn’t be anyone else taking control of you, your actions, or anything else. Be yourself and be happy with that! Be who you are supposed to be and contribute to the world as you feel you can.