In life, most of us are not lucky enough to find our true calling, or even if we find what we are excited to do, it does not put food on the table hence the term starving artists.
You could refer to the above picture as a framework to sort out where you are currently in the Venn diagram or if you are one of the chosen ones, you have found your Ikigai.
So the million-dollar lies, how do I find my Ikigai?
I am sorry but I do not have a direct solution to lost souls out there because I am still looking for my own Ikigai as well. But from one lost soul to another, the only advice that I can give you and the only line that truly resonates with me when I finished Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life is for those who haven’t found their Ikigai, then your quest in life is to find it.
Suddenly I felt a sense of intellectual satisfaction as I thought to myself. Hey, I’m not lost… I just haven’t found it yet. This could also be a form of Ikigai as I constantly put myself under positive pressure to attempt new things and learn new skills as a way to find myself. I am very confident if I keep doing what I am doing, taking baby steps forward slowly but surely I will find something I am extremely passionate about and good at.
What if the skills are too tough for me to pick up, take too long to learn new stuff or I am simply too lazy?
For all procrastinators out there, I pose an example that would immediately eliminate you as a true procrastinator. I am sure your friends have persuaded you to watch life-changing TV dramas or movies and I am most definitive that there are times where you would want to stop watching the show or series because it is simply too boring or slow. Yes, I am looking at you WestWorld. But of course, you press on. Eventually, you figured out why the shows are rated high on rotten tomatoes and why your friends are raving about it. Congratulations, you have completed a task! You managed to endure and finished watching the entire series, you achieved something. Of course, learning an extra skill is very different from just sitting on your couch trying to finish up on the drama but the mentality is the same. As long you move forward slowly and don’t falter, you can taste the life-changing moments that would befall you if you just don’t give up. The past you will regret and hate every moment while learning, the present you will look back, thank you for not giving up, the future you would have smiled and see how much you have grown.
We are all curious creatures by nature. We have an engine that is just dying to burn through information, invent, explore, and experience new feelings. Losing that drive in life equals to feeling little fulfilment and it might make you feel empty. So before you leave, I would like to ask.
What is your reason for waking up every day and are you happy with your reasons for waking up? If you could improve one thing about your life, what would it be and how much do you want it? Are you willing to put in the effort to change?
