Ikigai 生き甲斐

A Reason for Being

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means your 'reason for being'. ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Your ikigai is your life purpose or your bliss. It's what brings you joy and inspires you to get out of bed every day. There are four main overlapping qualities which cosntitute Ikigai:

Japan is ranked second in the world for life expectancy, with women expected to live 88.09 years and men expected to live 81.91 years. While it's true that diet plays a role, many Japanese people believe ikigai has a lot to do with their longevity and living a happy life.

Importance of Ikigai

Some research hypothesizes that ikigai is connected to longevity and greater quality of life (Dayman, 2020). Another study found that individuals who had ikigai had lower risks of cardiovascular disease and lower mortality rates (Mogi, 2019). Having a sense of purpose or productivity and sharing that with others helps you avoid social isolation and can bring happiness into your life (Carr, 2013)
In addition, having something in life that keeps you engaged, focused, and satisfied can lead to a better quality of life.

The Ikigai is the philosophy that will make you know yourself as a person. You can start by making a list of everything you like, what you love, your hobbies, everything you think you can not live without. Then you must cross out everything for which you do not get an economic remuneration in return, like eating or sleeping. Then cross out with all sincerity what you are not good at, like drawing or cooking. In the end you will be left with few points in which you must identify those that contribute to you and the society around you or the world.