Book 89 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title – Living Life on Purpose

Book - Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

Book Description: According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?

Reflection:

I’ve found myself jokingly saying all the time these days that, “A Beaver Must Dam”. It’s been stuck in my head ever since I finished reading Eager: The Hidden Lives of Beavers and Why They Matter. Beavers have a purpose. They wake up every day knowing what they need to do, and for whatever reason love it. I don’t have any idea why they do this, but that is their Ikigai. I don’t think they look at the bears, birds, fish, and wolves while thinking, “I wish I had that life, that looks fun. I’m sick and tired of this damming business”. They probably are so locked in on their Ikigai that they barely even notice what anyone else is doing if I had to guess.

Just like beavers, all beings have an Ikigai as well. Having an Ikigai does wonders at bringing clarity and direction to your life. Living life with a purpose just makes everything easier and you feel more fulfilled with each passing day.

This Ikigai thing sounds pretty magical…right? So, how does one find their Ikigai? That’s the tough question that I’ve been grappling with in my mind for a while these days. Here's my best guess at this point. I don't think one can find an Ikigai, I think an Ikigai finds you.

Let me explain. My theory is that an Ikigai can only be born out of pain and suffering sadly. Pain is the only thing in this world that can leave an imprint on your brain so searing that compels you to act in a certain way each and every day moving forward. Pain sucks and forces you to push yourself to limits you wouldn’t dare push yourself to on your own. Happiness doesn’t do that. There is nothing about the happiest days of my life that I reflect on that I can carry forward with me. Pain, on the other hand, lasts forever. Pain never leaves, but you can confront it head on and use it give your life direction if you choose. It is in those moments, that I believe your Ikigai is found if you let it.

For me, my Ikigai was found in the pain of losing my daughter. I call my Ikigai, “Living for 2”. Living for 2 means that every day I wake up on a mission to honor the memory of my daughter, to harness the example of the values she demonstrated to me as she fought for her life, and to turn those values into actions to share her with the world. That is my Ikigai and it will never change. It brings extreme clarity to what I do each day these days. It’s how I found the strength to write our story, I Can’t Imagine, and how I wake up each day to do this project. It is and will be the source of energy for every single other project in my life as well going forward. I’ve never been happier in my life, but that happiness came at a massive expense and a lot of pain and suffering.

I’ve been left to wonder if an Ikigai is worth it because it cost me my daughter? I’d give it back in a heartbeat to have her with me. I don’t have a good answer to that one at this point, and it is a question I will probably ponder for the rest of my days.

In the meantime, A Beaver Must Dam and I Must Live for 2. That’s how this whole Ikigai thing works…I think?

Question: What’s your Ikigai?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Ikigai

YOML Bookstore - Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles