Get Your Life Together! How to Find Your Ikigai

If there’s one thing we know to be true, it’s that ultimately every human being desires to be happy. Happiness triumphs the desire to be famous, successful, and rich. In fact, it’s because of this that people often assume fame, success, money, or power leads people to their ultimate happiness.

Try saying these out loud:

“If I reach this goal, then I’ll be happy.”

“When I earn this much, then I’ll be happy.”

“By the time I become this, then I’ll be happy.”

While we all strive for happiness, why is it that not everyone finds it? Why is it that even when we reach that goal, or earn that much, or get that title, we find ourselves missing something?

What is ikigai?

The Japanese had it figured out when they started living out the concept of ikigai. They discovered that this was the secret to living a long and happy life. In English, this roughly translates to “the reason for being.” It’s the knot that ties together all the aspects of what makes a full and happy life. It’s the core of all that is when it comes to a person’s physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being.

How to find your ikigai

Essentially, putting these pieces together allows you to thrive at what you’re good at—where you dodge the financial struggle and do something meaningful for the world altogether.

In other words, your ikigai is the map to your why. There are many ways to find your ikigai, but if you have yet to find your flow, you can start by asking yourself these questions.

What do you enjoy doing?

Before you can succeed at anything, you have to start with yourself. Answering this question does 2 things. It keeps you focused on what you have control over and it keeps you directed towards what makes you feel good.

When you are in a lighter headspace, your chances of figuring out what you actually want to do is amplified. In answering this, you can think of a few things. What hobbies do you have that make you feel good about yourself? What are the things you’re willing to do every day?

What are you good at?

In line with doing something that feels fulfilling to you, it’s also helpful to know what you’re good at. Finding your place in the world also depends on how welcome you feel in whatever career or field you choose to be in.

Don’t we all want to be in a place that celebrates us and doesn’t just tolerate us? The first step to getting there is knowing your strengths or what you’re good at. Sometimes what you’re good at doesn’t necessarily present itself as an obvious career. Finding your strengths will show you what you can make of it down the line.

Maybe you’re really good at extensive research from Facebook investigating your crush. Or maybe you’re seemingly good at managing expenses from mastering the art of budgeting your baon. You can also be good at getting people together. Whatever your strength is, you can be sure that it’s an asset you can cultivate.

How can you impact more lives?

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

The thing with success, fulfillment, and ultimately, happiness is that it never ends with you. It’s the ability to pay it forward that makes it all worthwhile. Once you’ve figured out what you love to do, the next step is inspiring some sort of change or action on someone else’s life.

For instance, if you love to write, how can you use that to bring about a positive impact on the world? (Ehem, we’re looking for aspiring writers!) If you’ve got a great singing voice, maybe you can write your own songs that people resonate with. Or you could do fundraiser concerts for your chosen charity—which, by the way, our Miss Universe Philippines 2018, Catriona Grey, has been doing! Whatever it is you are gifted with, find a way to share it with others.

How can you earn from it?

Lastly, while sharing is caring, you also have to fulfill the practical aspect of your life. Once you’ve figured out what you love to do, what you’re good at, and how to positively affect others through it, the next thing to think of is how to monetize that and eventually turn it into a career.

The term Enlightened Entrepreneurship has been going around to pave the way for purposeful businesses. Even Simon Sinek says that the line separating entrepreneurs from business owners is the reason behind the business. What is it exactly? Entrepreneurs build businesses to better solve problems.

So, if you are having doubts about how to possibly turn what you love into something that pays the mortgage, just think back at all the jobs that exist now that didn’t a couple of years back. Who even thought blogging could be monetized? Needless to say, nothing is impossible!!

The Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is the idea that when you put in the work and constantly surround yourself with positivity, it’s inevitable that you get the results you want. Given it doesn’t harm anything or anyone, of course.

When you know what you’re working towards, it’s impossible to fail. In fact, when you have the direction and passion in the pursuit of it, then everything else falls in place. It’s all just a matter of time.

Plotting out your ikigai reminds us of something we often forget. Life is too short to be wasting moments that don’t add value to us. The goal of ikigai is more than just helping you find your career path. Instead, it aims to show you your light. It’s about finding joy, fulfillment, and learning the power of now.

It’s one thing to have your ikigai plotted out. But it’s another to have your subconscious constantly reminding you to be happy right now. Once your ikigai has been plotted out, the measurement of success falls in its moments.

How often do you feel good? How often do you feel at peace doing what you do? How often do you feel productive at it? How often do you feel as if you’re in a position that elevates your standard of living and happiness? Be brave and take the first step to your best life yet.

Know more about how you can overcome your fears, we’ve got more great content over at College Life. We’d love to hear more about your dreams and tell you about ours and other students’ from all over the country through Edukasyon.ph!