I just finished reading Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Garcia and Miralles. I highly recommend the book.
In Japanese culture, there is a concept called “ikigai,” which loosely translates as “a reason for living.” A French philosopher might call it a raison d’être. I would summarize by saying “everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning.” Every person, it is believed, has an ikigai that they must search for. The search is long and deeply personal, but once your ikigai is found it is what you devote your life to. It’s the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect.
The entire book is nicely summarized and explained by a well-thought-out Venn diagram (a graphic that uses overlapping circles to illustrate the logical relationships between two or more sets of items). Take a minute to study this diagram.
I think our personal Ikigai can change throughout life. For instance, when my daughter Sarah graduated from Juilliard her primary focus was on building her career. But five months ago she gave birth to Claire and now the child is Sarah’s reason for getting up in the morning (and several times during the night 🙂 and is the primary source of fulfillment.
What has been the prime motivator in your life? Has it changed recently?
Travel with Friends Information Meeting
Join me on March 11, 7:00p.m. CST for a 45-minute information meeting on Zoom about the 2024 Travel with Friends trip to the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe.
We’ll discuss the itinerary, accommodations, and ports of calls. The Q&A will answer all your questions. If you want to attend, let me know and I’ll send you an invitation. You can download Zoom for free. You can also participate via a conference call using your mobile phone.
Here’s the brochure that we’ll discuss. Baltic-Sea-Trip-2024-Brochure-110823-Fillable
If you want to attend, email me at [email protected] or call me at 214.783.4414