How to find your ikigai?

 "Essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for." - Hector Garcia Puigcerver.

Imagine a situation where we have nothing to do, nothing/no one to love and nothing to hope for? Will we ever feel the need to wake up in the morning? The only reason why we all wake up in the morning is that we have a purpose to serve, that gives meaning to our life. In order to live a meaningful life, one needs to know what makes life worth living. One needs to find the purpose in life that is to find an activity to engage oneself in. There are two kinds of people in the world- the first category includes those who wake up in the morning to do something and the second category includes those who have to forcefully drag themselves out of the bed knowing that they have nothing to look forward to in life. If you fall in the first category, then you are definitely happier compared to the second category of people. The people in the second category thus; need to find their ikigai.

What is Ikigai?

To those who are not familiar with the Japanese word 'Ikigai', it is composed of two words- 'iki' which means life and 'gai' which means value/worth. Hence, Ikigai means value in living.  Each individual finds their ikigai in different ways. For some, ikigai is work. For some others ikigai is what they love. In other words, it may be anything that adds meaning to a person's life. It is simply finding joy through some purpose. I remember meeting a lady in her mid 50's in an event, a few years back. Her name was Mrs. Susan Vargeese. All the participants in that event were asked to answer a simple question, 'Who you are?' What really caught my attention is the way she answered that question. She said, "I am someone who wakes up every morning to ensure that my family is loved and taken care of and also to instill a sense of respect and discipline in the minds of thousands of young children of my school." Everyone else answered by saying their name, occupation and that they are so and so's wife, daughter, son etc. Mrs. Vargeese was the only one who stood out from others. The way she spoke made me think about the very meaning of life. The purpose in life, that makes us what we really are. The sense of purpose is what defines a person's existence. Later, I found out that she was the wife of a bureaucrat and herself a Principal working in a private school. She was someone who had found her ikigai and was quite satisfied with her life. 

In my professional life, I come across a number of people who are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. The one thing that I see common in each one of them is that none of them has discovered their ikigai. Though, ikigai is a Japanese word, it's not something unique to Japan. The concept is similar to what we call 'purposeful living' or 'mindful living' ( https://www.livingmindfully.org/). 

Few suggestions to find your ikigai-

• Live in the moment i.e. stay mindful.
• Always be active. Remember, there is nothing called retirement.  Engage yourself in some work or the other as long as you can.
• Stay physically fit. 
• Don't be in a rush. Slow down and enjoy your life.
• Appreciate even the tiniest things that you get in life. Read here to know how being grateful can help you find happiness
• Connect with nature. 
• Surround yourself with positive people.

No matter how much we read and how much we try, sometimes we are not good enough to help ourselves. Sometimes, we need someone to depend on, someone to guide us through our path. Consolace counselling services in Trivandrum can be reached for any kind of counselling assistance and mindful living tips. Discover your purpose in life and make your life more fulfilling.