Finding Your Ikigai: A Path to Self-Discovery and Healing
In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s common to feel overwhelmed, lost, or disconnected. It can sometimes seem like life is a constant race to keep up, leaving little room to reflect on personal meaning or direction. Many of us find ourselves longing for something more—a sense of fulfillment, purpose, and clarity. If you're on a journey of self-improvement and healing, searching for that deeper sense of purpose, you may have come across the concept of "Ikigai."
But what exactly is Ikigai, and how can it help guide you on this path toward healing and personal growth?
Ikigai, pronounced “ee-kee-guy,” is a Japanese philosophy that translates roughly to “reason for being” or “the happiness of being busy.” At its core, Ikigai is about finding purpose in life. It represents the intersection of four essential aspects: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Visualized as a Venn diagram, Ikigai is found where these four elements overlap, creating a balance between passion, mission, vocation, and profession.
So, how can Ikigai help you find your purpose and guide you on your healing journey?
1. What You Love
The first element of Ikigai is about understanding what truly brings you joy. This is where you tap into your passions, the activities that light you up from the inside and make you feel most alive.
Take a moment to reflect on your passions. What are the activities that you naturally gravitate toward? Maybe it’s writing, painting, helping others, or being in nature. These are all clues to uncovering the things you love most.
Tuning into what you love is not just about hobbies or pastimes. It’s about finding the deeper connection between these activities and your sense of purpose. When you spend time doing what you love, you’re not just passing the time—you’re nourishing your soul. In your healing journey, reconnecting with these passions can bring a sense of joy and fulfillment that’s vital for emotional and mental well-being.
2. What You Are Good At
The second aspect of Ikigai involves recognizing your strengths. Every person has unique talents, abilities, and gifts. These strengths may come naturally to you, but sometimes it takes a bit of reflection to truly appreciate what they are. Think about the skills you’ve developed over the years, the talents that others often praise you for, or the things that feel effortless to you but challenging to others.
Your strengths are not only a source of personal pride; they are also the tools you can use to contribute to the world. When you align what you’re good at with what you love, you start to see how these abilities can serve a greater purpose. For example, if you love connecting with people and have strong communication skills, perhaps your strength lies in creating communities or offering guidance to others.
Understanding what you're good at is a key step in unlocking your potential. It allows you to see how your skills can make a difference and how you can use them in service of a greater mission. This can be deeply empowering and help guide you toward roles and opportunities where you shine.
3. What the World Needs
The third element of Ikigai shifts focus outward, asking you to reflect on the needs of the world. This is where the concept of purpose expands beyond personal fulfillment and connects with a broader mission. Consider the causes or issues that resonate with you. What societal or community needs call out to you? How can your skills and passions contribute to making the world a better place?
This aspect of Ikigai is deeply rooted in service. It’s about understanding that your purpose isn’t just about what you want, but how you can make a positive impact on others. This could involve anything from addressing social justice issues to helping others heal. Whatever it is, the key is to align your actions with a greater cause.
When your efforts meet a need in the world, you’ll begin to feel a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. There is something incredibly rewarding about knowing that your work, your passion, or even your everyday actions are helping to improve the lives of others. It’s this contribution that can fuel your healing while also making a difference in the lives of those around you.
4. What You Can Be Paid For
Lastly, Ikigai touches on the practical side of life—finding financial sustainability through your purpose. While pursuing what you love and contributing to the world are essential for fulfillment, it's also important to consider how you can turn your passion and strengths into a sustainable livelihood. This doesn't mean sacrificing your dreams for a paycheck, but rather finding ways to align your passions with practical opportunities.
Get paid to just be you! & Find ways to monetize. Think about how your skills and passions could translate into something that can support you financially. Turn a hobby into a business, find a career path that aligns with your values, or offer services that fill a gap in the market. The possibilities are endless, but the goal is to ensure that you’re able to sustain yourself while living a life aligned with your purpose.
Achieving this balance isn’t always easy, and it may require creativity and flexibility. But when you find ways to make a living that also brings fulfillment, you’ll discover a new level of harmony and satisfaction. Financial success becomes another part of the equation rather than the sole focus, allowing you to enjoy the journey toward your goals.
Finding Your Ikigai
So, how can you use Ikigai to guide your journey of self-improvement and healing? The key is to find the intersection where what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for all meet. This intersection is your Ikigai, the sweet spot where your passions, strengths, purpose, and livelihood all come together.
Here are some steps you can take to uncover your own Ikigai:
1. Reflect on Your Passions
Take time to really dive deep into what brings you joy. What are the activities that make you lose track of time? What do you daydream about? Exploring your passions will help you gain clarity on what truly makes you happy and fulfilled.
Practice journaling, you’ll be surprised how creative you can be!
2. Discover Your Strengths
Look at your skills and talents. What comes naturally to you? What do others frequently compliment or ask you for help with? Your strengths are key to understanding how you can contribute to the world in a meaningful way.
Don’t really know who you are? Dive deep and discover yourself more by purchasing our Digital Spiritual Workbook here. Print out each prompt or use a tablet!
3. Explore Your Values
What causes or principles resonate with you? Do you feel drawn to helping others, protecting the environment, or advocating for social change? Identifying your values helps guide your actions and align them with a greater purpose, adding depth and meaning to your life.
4. Identify Opportunities
Where do your passions, strengths, and values intersect with the needs of the world? Are there career paths, volunteer opportunities, or creative endeavors that allow you to bring these elements together? By seeking out these opportunities, you can start living in alignment with your Ikigai.
5. Embrace Growth and Adaptation
It’s important to remember that Ikigai is not a fixed destination. As you grow and evolve, so will your purpose. Stay open to new experiences and opportunities that may shift your understanding of what fulfills you. Embracing this dynamic nature of Ikigai allows you to continuously evolve and stay aligned with your purpose.
Trust in the Process
Finding your Ikigai is a deeply personal and evolving journey. It requires self-reflection, patience, and a willingness to explore new possibilities. But the rewards are immense—a life filled with purpose, fulfillment, and joy. Whether you're on a path of healing, personal growth, or simply searching for more meaning in your daily life, Ikigai can provide a powerful framework for understanding your true calling.
As you navigate this journey, trust that your Ikigai is unique to you. It is the blueprint for your life, and no one else can define it for you. Have confidence that you already possess everything you need to uncover your purpose. Remember you already have all the skills you need to thrive. You just need to unlock them. Trust your intuition, become more internal, lean into your passions, and know that this journey is about progress, not perfection.
Your Ikigai is waiting to be discovered, and with it, the opportunity to live a life of meaning, fulfillment, and balance. Embrace the process, and allow your purpose to guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.
Join the community that’s committed to seeing you win!
Let's reflect on what you learned. Use Internal’s completed template as an example & download this free template below and fill out your personal Ikigai. Remember it doesn't have to be extremely descriptive, try to make it simple.
Come back to this blog post when you're done and answer these questions. Chat amongst each other & spark up a conversation.
Looking at your completed Ikigai template, what insights or revelations did you gain about yourself and your life's purpose?
How does your understanding of Ikigai influence your goals and aspirations for the future? What vision do you have for yourself based on this newfound clarity?
Are there any surprises or unexpected discoveries that emerged as you filled out the Ikigai template?
Watch this great video by the creator Elohor Eva Alordiah to get a more comprehensive view of Ikigai for those wanting a more in-depth explanation.
