“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.”

– Winston S. Churchill

Are you living your most extraordinary life?
Are you willing to believe that something else is possible?
Do you understand you have a choice in creating the life you have always wanted?
These questions inspired me to write The Let Go.

The Japanese believe in having deep satisfaction and meaning in their lives; they need to live in alignment with their ikigai (ee-key-guy), which translates to the reason for being or why I wake up in the morning. It is about defining one’s purpose, one’s mission and reaching one’s full potential. Interestingly, it is not associated with striving for happiness.

Our ikigai changes as we grow and mature, so it is ongoing and lifelong to discover and realign with it. The intention is to uncover how we can contribute to our world by determining what we are good at and what gives us pleasure.

This sounds like a beautiful concept, yet, how do we find it?

Hidden within the answer to these questions, how do you spend your time, and where do you focus your energies, lies the secrets to finding the joy in our lives. Investigating what truly gives us satisfaction will reveal what our ikigai is. To see this takes some digging into the who of who we are.

Why is it essential to find it?

Those who actively strive for their ikigai have stronger self-esteem and feel a sense of belonging. When we meet those, who have found this, their presence lends a feeling of harmony and balance.

Longevity has also been associated with those who found their purpose: engaging in something that brings them joy daily. Scientists and researchers have uncovered that knowing our sense of purpose extends our life expectancy. It also boosts our DHEA, a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, known as the miracle “longevity hormone.”

Finding your ikigai

The convergence of the following four elements can identify our ikigai.

  • What is your passion? What do you love? Define it by looking at your natural gifts, talents, and skills.
  • What is your mission? How can you give to the world, solve a problem or add to your community? What issues in your society would you like to help resolve?
  • What is your vocation? What are your talents? Where do your efforts feel effortless? 
  • What is your profession? Have you been paid for what you do? Are other people being paid for this work?

Where these four questions intersect is where we can find our ikigai.

We can shake things up if we cannot get to the heart of these questions. Discovering new ways of doing something, expanding our circle of friends, exploring new interests, or volunteering for an organization that inspires us may lead to personal insight. Most of all, understand that this is an ongoing process of growth. Nothing is set in stone. Some may find it quickly, and others may take decades. Regardless, it is the journey that is most important.

We are all creations of our minds. We have the power of change. Getting there starts with the first step. My life with horses was the intersection of the four elements for a long time. As time passed, my ikigai changed. Writing and speaking have become where my sense of purpose feels most satisfied.

Finding our ikigai exemplifies; Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day.

I encourage everyone to start digging and exploring where you find meaning and raison d’etre. The purpose has nothing to do with the job title or task; as long as one can find a sense of fulfillment and inner gratification, we will move towards our reason for being and why we wake up in the morning. 

If you can find pleasure and satisfaction in what you do and you’re good at it, congratulations you have found your ikigai.