IKIGAI | A Japanese Philosophy for Finding Purpose

Summary

The video explores the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai, which means 'reason for being.' It highlights the importance of aligning four key dimensions—doing what you're good at, what you love, what the world needs, and what pays you—to find purpose in life. The script emphasizes that many people struggle in jobs they dislike, leading to dissatisfaction and even depression. Ikigai offers a way to attain balance, purpose, and fulfillment by adapting and aligning oneself with the world, achieving effortless flow in meaningful pursuits.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Many people struggle with finding their purpose in life, especially when making career choices.
• 🧠 Society often pressures individuals to decide their life path at a young age, but even adults frequently don’t know what they want to do.
• 🌸 Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means ‘reason for being’ and helps people find purpose in life by focusing on what motivates them to get out of bed each day.
• 💡 Ikigai promotes a state of ‘flow’ where individuals are fully immersed in their activities, making their work feel effortless and meaningful.
• 😔 Many people endure jobs they hate, which often leads to feelings of dread, misery, and can even cause serious mental health problems.
• 🧘 Ikigai suggests that individuals can change their mindset or circumstances to improve their work experience and find a better fit for themselves.
• 🏆 Ikigai is based on four key dimensions: doing what you’re good at, doing what you love, doing what the world needs, and getting paid for it.
• ⚖️ Balancing all four dimensions is essential for achieving Ikigai, as focusing on just one or two can lead to dissatisfaction or lack of purpose.
• 🌍 The world’s needs are diverse, and finding a way to meet these needs while pursuing your own talents and passions is crucial.
• 🔄 Ikigai is not static; it evolves over time, requiring individuals to adapt and recalibrate their purpose as they and the world around them change.

Q & A

What is Ikigai and how does it relate to finding one's purpose?

Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy that means 'reason for being.' It helps individuals identify what makes them wake up with a sense of purpose by aligning four dimensions: what they're good at, what they love, what the world needs, and what generates income.

Why is it difficult for people to decide their purpose at a young age?

It is difficult because society often demands young people to choose a career path without having enough life experience or understanding of what adulthood is like. Many adults also struggle with finding their purpose, leading to confusion about what to pursue.

What are the four dimensions of Ikigai, and why are they important?

The four dimensions are: doing what you're good at, doing what you love, doing what the world needs, and doing what generates income. These are important because they ensure that your life's work is fulfilling, purposeful, sustainable, and beneficial to both you and society.

How can focusing on personal strengths lead to mastery according to Ikigai?

Focusing on personal strengths allows individuals to become highly skilled in areas they are naturally good at. By improving these strengths, people can reach their full potential rather than wasting energy on improving weaknesses, where they may only achieve mediocrity.

What role does mindset play in doing what we love according to Ikigai?

Mindset is crucial because even if certain aspects of an activity aren't enjoyable, adopting the right focus can help overcome those challenges. A positive mindset enables individuals to stay immersed and achieve a state of flow, even with tasks they may not initially enjoy.

How can one find what the world needs according to Ikigai?

To discover what the world needs, one can conduct market research or look at societal challenges from a broader perspective. The goal is to match one's skills and interests with activities that make a positive contribution to society.

Why is it important to generate income as part of Ikigai?

Generating income ensures that a person's purpose is sustainable. Without financial support, even meaningful work becomes difficult to maintain, turning a passion into a hobby rather than a profession that supports a livelihood.

What is the relationship between passion, mission, vocation, and profession in Ikigai?

Passion arises from doing what we love and are good at. A mission is what we love and what the world needs. A vocation is what the world needs and what generates income. A profession is what we're good at and what pays. Ikigai is the intersection of all four dimensions.

How does the concept of 'flow' connect to Ikigai?

Flow occurs when people are fully immersed in an activity they love and are good at, to the point where nothing else seems to matter. Ikigai helps individuals find activities that facilitate this state of flow, making their work enjoyable and fulfilling.

Why is Ikigai described as an 'active entity' that changes over time?

Ikigai is not static because the world and personal circumstances constantly change. To remain in a state of flow, individuals must adapt and fine-tune their activities, skills, and contributions to stay aligned with the evolving needs of society and themselves.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Reflecting on Life's Purpose and Ikigai

The opening paragraph introduces the idea of questioning one's purpose in life amidst various career opportunities. It highlights the pressures society places on young people to decide their paths without understanding adulthood. The concept of Ikigai, a Japanese philosophy meaning 'reason for being,' is presented as a solution to this dilemma. Ikigai helps individuals identify what they want to wake up for, something they can deeply immerse themselves in, achieving a state of flow. The paragraph concludes by contrasting the misery of hating one’s job with the benefits of finding meaningful work.

05:03

🛠️ Making Work Enjoyable with Mindset Shifts

This section explores how certain aspects of work may not be enjoyable, using an example of a YouTube content creator who enjoys scripting but dislikes filming. The key message is that changing one's mindset or environment can make unpleasant tasks more bearable. It suggests strategies like adjusting the workflow or location to enhance enjoyment and maintain focus. Outsourcing is another option, but the paragraph warns that if tasks consistently feel dreadful, it might be time to find a different pursuit.

10:04

🌍 Aligning Your Skills with the World’s Needs

Here, the script discusses the third dimension of Ikigai: doing what the world needs. While discovering personal talents and passions is important, it’s equally crucial that these activities contribute to society in some way. The world’s needs are diverse, and even jobs that are often undervalued, like waste disposal or plumbing, are essential for society's functioning. The paragraph advises individuals to assess their skills in relation to how they can improve the world, emphasizing that a true Ikigai must have societal relevance.

💰 The Importance of Money in Sustaining Ikigai

Money is the fourth dimension of Ikigai, as it sustains efforts and transforms a passion into a sustainable pursuit. The script addresses the reality that while some may argue money isn’t essential, it’s necessary for covering living expenses. Without it, even fulfilling activities become hobbies, forcing people to work jobs they dislike to survive. Therefore, generating income from one's Ikigai is vital to ensuring long-term engagement and fulfillment.

🧠 The Four Dimensions: Passion, Mission, Vocation, and Profession

This paragraph breaks down the interaction between the four dimensions of Ikigai. Doing what you love and are good at is a passion, but it may not necessarily benefit the world or make money. A mission aligns personal interests with societal needs but doesn’t guarantee income or skill proficiency. A vocation fulfills a societal need and provides income, but it may not be enjoyable or align with one's talents. A profession pays well and matches one's skills but may lack passion or relevance to societal needs. True Ikigai is the balance of all four dimensions.

🌊 Achieving Flow and Effortless Action

The final major paragraph emphasizes how aligning the four dimensions of Ikigai leads to a state of flow, where work becomes effortless and fulfilling. This concept, called Wu-Wei in Taoism, involves harmonizing personal nature with the environment, allowing work to feel natural and enjoyable. The script notes that Ikigai is not static; it evolves over time, requiring individuals to adapt and refine their pursuits as circumstances change.

🙏 Conclusion and Thank You

A simple closing statement, thanking viewers for watching the video.

Keywords

💡Ikigai

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates to 'reason for being.' In the video, it is presented as a philosophy that helps individuals find their purpose in life by identifying what they love, what they are good at, what the world needs, and what can generate income. The idea is to align these four dimensions to create a fulfilling and meaningful life.

💡Flow

Flow refers to a mental state of complete immersion and focus on an activity, where time seems to disappear. The video discusses how finding one’s Ikigai can lead to this state of flow, making work effortless and enjoyable. This concept is central to the idea of pursuing a career or life path that brings joy and purpose.

💡Passion

Passion in the context of the video is described as doing something that you love and are good at, but it may not be enough to sustain a fulfilling life if it does not meet the other dimensions of Ikigai, such as being something the world needs or can provide income. The video emphasizes that passion alone is not sufficient for a true Ikigai.

💡Mission

A mission is defined as doing something that you love and that the world needs. However, the video points out that while having a mission is important, it is not a complete Ikigai if it doesn't align with your skills or fail to generate income. A mission must connect with other dimensions to create a sustainable purpose.

💡Vocation

Vocation refers to work that meets a need in the world and generates income. However, the video explains that vocation alone is not an Ikigai if the individual doesn't enjoy it or isn't particularly skilled at it. Many people find themselves in vocations that feel more like obligations than passions, leading to dissatisfaction.

💡Profession

A profession is defined in the video as something you are good at and get paid for. However, it may not necessarily be something you love or something the world needs. The video illustrates that many people find themselves in professions they dislike, which can lead to a lack of fulfillment and even health issues.

💡Mindset

Mindset is emphasized as a crucial element in transforming how we perceive and engage with our work. The video discusses how a change in mindset can help make an unpleasant job more enjoyable and that a positive attitude can allow us to overcome challenges and find flow in our work, even when tasks are not inherently enjoyable.

💡Effortless action (Wu-Wei)

Effortless action, or Wu-Wei, is a Taoist concept that means taking action in harmony with the natural flow of life, without force. In the video, this idea is connected to Ikigai, where living with purpose allows one to act with ease and in a flow state, as if everything falls into place naturally. It's about aligning with both personal and environmental factors.

💡Societal expectations

Societal expectations refer to the pressure placed on individuals to make important life decisions, such as choosing a career, at a young age. The video critiques how society often demands these choices before people fully understand their own desires or the realities of adulthood, contributing to confusion and dissatisfaction in career paths.

💡Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust one’s actions and goals in response to changing circumstances. The video highlights that Ikigai is not a static concept, and individuals must constantly refine their sense of purpose as their environment and personal circumstances evolve. This ongoing adjustment ensures continued fulfillment and alignment with life’s purpose.

Highlights

Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy that stands for ‘reason for being’ and helps identify what we want to wake up for in the morning.

Ikigai consists of four dimensions: doing what we’re good at, doing what we love, doing what the world needs, and doing what generates money.

Many people feel miserable in jobs they hate, leading to health problems like depression or even suicidal thoughts.

We can change our mindset and circumstances to make our current job more enjoyable or find something else to do.

Ikigai allows people to enter a state of flow, where they are fully immersed in their activities and feel effortless.

The first dimension of Ikigai is focusing on things we are naturally good at and mastering them instead of repairing our weaknesses.

The second dimension involves doing what we love, but it's important to make even disliked aspects of the job more enjoyable to maintain flow.

The third dimension is doing what the world needs, which turns a passion into something more meaningful and impactful.

The fourth dimension is earning money from our pursuits to sustain ourselves and keep the efforts going long-term.

Ikigai integrates passion, mission, vocation, and profession to create a well-rounded, fulfilling life pursuit.

Doing what we love and are good at creates passion, but it must also align with the world’s needs and generate income to form Ikigai.

A profession alone isn’t enough for Ikigai because it may lack love or a positive impact on the world.

Flow is a state of mind where individuals engage in activities effortlessly, feeling joy and satisfaction.

Ikigai is not a static concept; it evolves with time, requiring continuous adaptation and fine-tuning in a changing world.

The ultimate goal of Ikigai is to align our nature with the environment, facilitating effortless action, also known as ‘Wu-Wei’ in Taoism.

Transcripts

Have you ever asked yourself this question: what is my purpose?

With so many opportunities that life has to offer, and all these different jobs and careers,

it’s quite difficult to decide what we want to do with our lives.

Society demands us to make decisions at a very young age, about what path we’re going

to take.

Most of the time, children have no clue about what life’s like in adulthood, and what

they want to do when they’re grown-up.

In fact, many adults don’t even have a clue.

Now, the Japanese invented a philosophy named Ikigai, which stands for ‘reason for being’,

Ikigai can help us to determine what it is, that we want to wake up for in the morning.

You know, that very thing that we can pour our heart and soul into.

When we’re totally immersed in our activities, so much so that nothing else matters, we’re

in a state of flow.

Ikigai helps us to identify the necessary ingredients to get into this flow state and

make our pursuit sustainable, and useful for the world.

Many people work in these jobs they hate.

When we do this, the misery that we associate with these activities often creeps up on us

on Sunday evenings, when we start to think about this dreadful Monday morning, on which

we have to drag ourselves out of bed, knowing that we’ll spend the next week in hell.

When we arrive, we still experience this nostalgia for the weekend, and as soon as we begin with

our tasks, we count down to the first break and then the next and then the next, until

we can finally go home again, and repeat the process.

Now, this isn’t a very enjoyable way to live.

Think about it.

Doing something we hate, is a disservice to ourselves, and also to our surroundings.

Especially when we see other colleagues that actually enjoy what they’re doing.

And on top that, they’re doing a great job.

Again, many people get miserable because of their jobs, which in turn can lead to serious

health problems, like depression.

Some even go as far as killing themselves, because they cannot cope with the feelings

of uselessness, hopelessness and this nagging idea that they’re failures in life.

But we have a certain degree of control over our circumstances.

We can try to change our position towards the situation, and make our current

job more enjoyable.

Or we can reassess our own nature and the nature of our surroundings and likely come

to the conclusion that it’s better to find something different to do.

Thus, the change we need to make is twofold: on the one hand we need to change our mindset.

On the other hand, we need to change our circumstances.

Because when we do the right things with the right mindset, we’re able to enter a state

of flow.

Ikigai helps to identify what’s the right thing to do for a certain individual, so this

person is able to get out of bed in the morning with a sense of purpose and, therefore, is

able to work with almost no effort.

Now, Ikigai consists of four dimensions.

Firstly, we need to pick something that we’re good at.

Secondly, it must be a thing that we love to do.

Thirdly, the world should need it.

And lastly, we have to get paid.

Let’s talk about each dimension separately.

(1) Doing what we’re good at.

Everyone has a different skill set.

Some things are based on nurture, and some things are based on nature.

For a great part, we can learn skills.

But we also have inborn characteristics that make different people suitable for different

things.

For example, we see differences in IQ, motor skills, empathy, physical strength, et cetera.

Oftentimes, people focus on improving the things they’re bad at.

They spend their whole lives repairing themselves while rejecting the things they’re naturally

good at.

So, we might want to focus on the latter, and improve those skills so we become masters at it.

Because why put so much energy into becoming mediocre at best when we have the opportunity

to become great?

Not to mention how the world benefits from us manifesting our true potential.

However, according to the Ikigai philosophy, this should be something that the world needs,

which I’ll address in a minute.

(2) Doing what we love to do.

This is very obvious, but it’s also a tricky one.

While a level of skill can be measured, this dimension is kind of subjective and a bit complicated.

For example, you might love to be a fulltime YouTube content creator.

But there might be some aspects of the process that you don’t like at all.

You might love editing videos, writing scripts, but hate filming.

In this case, filming becomes a bottleneck.

Now, we can try to make filming more enjoyable.

Perhaps, we can change our workflow or go to different locations, so we can still be

immersed in this task and experience a flow-state.

Mindset is key, here.

And with the right focus, we’re able to effortlessly do the tasks that are necessary

but that we don’t like that much.

Of course, outsourcing is an option as well.

But when our activities as a whole make us dreadful, and we don’t see any way to develop

a certain enjoyment while doing them, it might be a better idea to find something else to do.

Perhaps we’re just not interested in this field, or our skills are lacking which

frustrates us.

At the end of the day, there’s no accounting for taste.

So, it’s probably much easier to just listen to our guts, and let intuition decide where to go.

(3) Doing what the world needs.

It’s all great when we’ve determined what we’re good at and what we love to do.

But that isn’t enough to call it Ikigai.

Because our activities should, in one way or another, benefit the world.

If they don’t, it’s simply a passion.

Luckily, the needs of the world come in many different flavors.

Jobs that are looked down upon by some people are often highly important.

Someone has the pick up the trash, someone has to fix our sink, and we wouldn’t be

able to thrive as a society without people cleaning up the mess.

If we find enjoyment in these kind of jobs, that’s absolutely terrific.

To discover what the world needs, we can simply do some market research, to find out the current

demands.

Or can we look at the world from a wider perspective, asking ourselves how we, with our skill sets,

can make it a better place?

(4) Doing what generates money.

Some argue that money isn’t important, or shouldn’t be a factor.

But when we look at reality, we see that money makes the world go round.

And without money, we can’t pay the bills.

So, to make our efforts sustainable, and truly a ‘reason for being’, they must generate income.

If not, our activities become more of a hobby.

There’s nothing wrong with a hobby of course.

However, this also means that we need a job we might not like to pay the bills, and, therefore,

sacrifice the majority of our time and energy for something we’re not passionate about,

and don’t see as our life’s mission.

So, we could see money as a form of energy, that fuels us in our pursuits.

Now we’ve addressed the four dimensions of Ikigai, it’s essential to explore how

these dimensions relate to each other, and how a combination of them form an Ikigai.

When we do what we love, and what we’re good at, we have a passion.

But this passion isn’t sufficient to be an Ikigai.

Because it could very well be something that the world doesn’t need, or is even destructive

to our environment.

Also, it may not generate money or even cost us money.

Yet, being passionate about something is part of an Ikigai.

Doing what we love, and what the world needs, we call a mission.

But a mission alone isn’t an Ikigai.

Because we might not be good at it, and not earning a dime doing it.

Yet, seeing our activities as a mission is an ingredient for a reason for being.

When we do something that the world needs, and what we get paid for, we’ve found a

vocation.

But does that mean that we like what we do and that we’re good at it?

Not necessarily.

And that’s why a vocation may be something that the world demands, and that we do out

of a sense of duty, but we may absolutely hate doing it.

So, a vocation alone isn’t an Ikigai.

Lastly, doing what we’re good at and what we’re paid for, is called a profession.

Does that mean that the world needs it and that we love what we do?

Again, not necessarily.

Some people hate their profession.

And some professions are even destructive to the world.

So, a profession alone isn’t an Ikigai.

What makes an Ikigai, is the combination of all four dimensions.

This means that a ‘reason for being’ includes a passion, a mission, a vocation, and a profession.

These are all the ingredients that facilitate us to engage in a worthwhile pursuit that

we love to get up for in the morning.

And when we love what we do, it’s so easy to immerse ourselves in it and get in a state

of flow.

The secret lies in aligning our own nature with the nature of our environment, to establish

an optimal interplay between ourselves and our surroundings so that our pursuit becomes

effortless.

The Taoists call this Wu-Wei, which can be translated as ‘effortless action’.

It’s essential to remember that what we’re looking for is not set in stone.

Many factors play a role in deciding what our Ikigai is.

In a constantly changing world, remaining in that flow state means that we continually

need to adapt and finetune our position within the whole.

Ikigai, therefore, isn’t static.

It’s an active entity, that changes with the flow of time.

Thank you for watching.