Literally meaning “reason for living”, ikigai is a Japanese concept and method of personal development. It represents our conception of life and our ability to find happiness in it.
The source of ikigai is what makes us happy, whether recognized successes or small, secret joys. Recognizing the pleasures in life that make us tick is the source of ikigai. People who know how to cultivate happiness live long, healthy, successful or simply peaceful lives.
The five essential ikigai principles
According to Japanese writer and neuroscientist Ken Mogi, this concept is divided into five pillars. These are the foundations of ikigai, but in no particular order. Knowing them enables you to make your own path to well-being.
- First of all, “start small”. This means two things: firstly, building a project or ambition step by step, to finalize a goal. Secondly, to have the curiosity and open-mindedness of a child. This is not a lack of maturity, but rather a way of seeing life from a different, less clear-cut angle.
- Next, “harmony and sustainability”. This means associating a habit with a pleasure so that it lasts over time. For example, associating physical activity with a tasty coffee as a reward is an excellent way to move forward. This pillar also explains why maintenance is essential to preserve those we love.
- Let’s continue with the “joy of little things”. This one is simpler to understand. It simply means that celebrating life’s small pleasures is very important, perhaps even more important than a big success, since they happen more often.
- “Being here and now” is the third pillar in a way, although they are all linked. Paying close attention to small events, such as the purr of a cat, requires being anchored in the present moment, however fleeting it may be. Mindfulness meditations are a good exercise.
- And finally, “free yourself”. This is a rather abstract term. It would mean stepping aside from time to time to take better advantage of the moment or the task at hand. It would also allow us to put aside the person we are in society, to accept our individuality and better discover ourselves.
Fulfilling your potential
The carefree spirit of a child
The pillars have been discussed separately, but they are inseparable. They all take place in the course of our lives as we begin to cultivate ikigai. If we pay attention, we can identify them all in what follows.
As we grow up, we build an identity for ourselves. It represents who and what we are, based on our environment. We sometimes create barriers by confining ourselves to a single category of self. It’s a pity, because a mother is also a woman, who has the right to take care of herself. A pupil is also an adolescent discovering himself.
A very young child is not yet tied to a professional status, nor to major responsibilities, which leaves him time to discover, to think, to expend himself. He’s not necessarily self-aware, and doesn’t dwell on his own existence. Instead, he prefers to take an interest in the world around him. Doing the same with hindsight and maturity can be very useful.
Freeing ourselves
When we are no longer intensely focused on our own existence, we become more aware of the vast outside world, full of mystery and wonder. As an adult, this could mean, for example, complaining less to friends or colleagues, and instead admiring a landscape, listening, learning. Speech is silver, but silence is gold.
Forgetting oneself may seem dehumanizing, but it’s the key to achieving a state of well-being.
When you read a captivating novel for hours on end, you’re plunged into a completely different universe, without even realizing that night has fallen. We even forget ourselves to cherish the present moment, the “here and now”.
Finally, it’s important to pay attention to our attitude towards ourselves, our loved ones, our relationship with nature or our work environment. Relationships and possessions only last if we take care of them. This can take the form of traditions that we celebrate every year, a moment of well-being that we allow ourselves after a day’s work, the upkeep of our car, and so on.
Kodawari is a source of ikigai
When we trust someone, it’s because they’ve kept a promise to us. To have confidence in ourselves, we need to do the same. Acting without constantly questioning our skills, setting and respecting our limits or fulfilling our personal requirements also makes us confident. You can be ambitious and still be realistic. This is what the term kodawari stands for.
This concept can be translated as “striving for perfection”. It represents attention to detail. It doesn’t matter whether the world notices it or not, the most important thing is to do things right for yourself. This applies in any field. All you have to do is take it step by step, and then be more and more precise. That’s how you develop skills, or even a certain level of professionalism.
The birth of new creativity
Kodawari is all about innovation, transforming what already exists to give it a whole new value. The term may be Japanese, but it’s a concept that can be found all over the world, including in French haute cuisine.
The aim is to find the perfect balance between acid and sweet to reveal the most subtle flavors. The price we pay for these pastries makes us all the more eager to enjoy this culinary voyage, short-lived though it may be. The pastry chef, on the other hand, will find the source of his ikigai in the dexterity he brings to his preparations.
That’s why having a passion is good for your health. We no longer do an activity to gain recognition, but because it alone gives us that gratification. Perhaps the most beautiful poems are those written out of pure desire to describe, not because they were meant to be published. Even if seeking gratification isn’t a bad thing, it’s not essential.
Knowing you’re cultivating ikigai
You may already be experiencing happiness through ikigai. Here are a few examples. There are others, and it’s obviously not necessary to live them all to cultivate ikigai.
- You have a passion. Our reason for living is not just a professional activity, and may seem futile or too complex for someone else. It doesn’t matter if it fulfills us.
- You’re able to adapt to change. Ikigai brings solidity in the face of unforeseen events, which you handle with more control and distance. It helps you recover from difficult events such as a break-up or financial problems.
- You remain yourself and true to yourself, preserving your individuality even in a group of friends. In other words, it’s easy to express a different opinion and respect your values, desires and tastes.
- You’re aware that life’s opportunities, encounters and pleasures don’t last forever, and that’s precisely why you enjoy them.
- You have an objective, a well-defined “why”, and regularly take action to move in its direction.
Being ambitious is a great way to get yourself going, but often, what you already have is enough. A family, a good meal, comfortable clothes, a beautiful sunset.
Everyone has the ability to know their ikigai, whatever the circumstances. In fact, it’s sometimes in the darkest moments of our lives that we manage to spot the small elements of happiness. It’s not just a matter of being aware of it, but of working on ourselves and challenging ourselves to achieve it.
‘Having the ikigai helps you make the best of any situation, no matter how difficult.’ Ken Mogi.
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