In Okinawa, ikigai is a reason to enjoy life. Okinawans view ikigai to describe the 'why' behind their daily life. They have a reason to get up in the morning, which means they have something to live for.
Ikigai is the philosophy that blissfully keeps them busy until the end of their days.
Other cultures follow a path that society has created for us. We live by someone else's standards and forget our desires. Hence, we rarely find our purpose and passions in life.
To find this reason or purpose, ask yourself these four questions:
What do I love?
What am I good at?
What does the world need from me?
What can I get paid for?
As we all know, your happiness relies on much more than having a career and getting a paycheck. Likewise, only doing things you love or doing good things is not enough to sustain you financially. Hence, your ikigai lies at the center of four interconnecting circles. Each of these elements helps contribute to your happiness; all four are crucial to your "reason for being."
Finding and accepting your ikigai is one of the first steps toward living a long and happy life. Without it, you'll wander through life, clinging to material possessions, previous memories, or other people. You'll bounce from one aim to the next, one daily activity to the next.
