How I’m Transforming My Life With Japanese Wisdom

Finding my ikigai has been powerful and fulfilling thus far

Photo by Anton Atanasov,/ Image designed by the author

Like a long, winding road leading to a mountain nestled among valleys and streams, such is our life. I possess many interests and various skill sets, yet none of my day jobs reflect my passions. Considered middle-aged, I still question my identity. I’ve journeyed through a series of dead-end jobs, never securing a high position, leaving me feeling unfulfilled. Valleys may be picturesque, but I’ve resided in them too long.

I was terminated from my last job, which left me feeling unintelligent and raw with pain, yet oddly liberated. Why is that? Perhaps those who are laid off or fired feel despair, or maybe they understand their ikigai, rendering the loss insignificant.

Ikigai.

What exactly does it mean?

“Why do some people know what they want and have a passion for life, while others languish in confusion? ”From Ikigai, 2016, p.2)

Recently, during a challenging time in my life, I discovered ikigai (pronounced EE-KEY-GUY). Like many, I was browsing YouTube, searching for others who were similar to me, struggling to narrow down their many interests, and…