Have You Found Your Ikigai?

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Discovering one's Ikigai often begins with a quiet moment of reflection.

Discovering one's Ikigai often begins with a quiet moment of reflection.

Living in one's Ikigai is the new mantra. It has long been a way of life for the Japanese, but it is now an idea the world is beginning to take notice of.

Essentially, it means entering a state of flow where one acts according to one's basic nature, doing what comes naturally. There is no studied or conscious effort in the activity, but rather a sense of enjoyment, of being completely absorbed in it, where the activity itself seems to dictate the action rather than the conscious mind.

Imagine an artist in the midst of creation, a musician completely lost in the music, a player on the verge of scoring a goal, or Rohit Sharma at the moment he hit the final six. These are moments when one loses oneself and reaches a higher state of awareness from which the action flows almost effortlessly.

Ikigai is a collection of such moments when one is in one's essential element. Each of us has something that drives us, a passion or natural force that becomes part of our elemental nature. Actions performed in this state often seem magical, producing remarkable results and, most importantly, bringing a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

In many ways, Ikigai would broadly correspond to the idea of Swadharma in Indian spirituality, where one follows the vocation or path one is naturally suited for. Activities done in this spirit flow naturally from within, and the joy derived from the action itself becomes the reward rather than any material gain. In that sense, one becomes a karma yogi.

So what is your Ikigai? You probably know it already, and perhaps now is the time to take it seriously. There is little that can give more meaning and substance to life than living in one's Ikigai.

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