What is your reason for getting up in the morning?

Ok, there are plenty of reasons why you need to get out of bed in the morning. You have to go to work on time, your children have to put their lunch in their lunchbox, you have a coffee with your partner, the dog has to go out, the cat wants to eat. All very good reasons to get up, but does it really make you happy?

Just imagine. Lying in your bed in the morning, waking up and thinking, yes, a new day! I am looking forward to it! And not only on the day you go on holiday, but on all the days in between. The thought of your day already gives you energy that runs through your veins. You might even notice a smile appear on your face.

According to the concept of Ikigai, you will live a long and happy life if you can wake up like this every day.

Ikigai is a Japanese term that means “reason for being”. The word “ikigai” is usually used to describe the source of value in a person’s life or the things that make that person’s life worthwhile. Both mentally and physically.

According to the Japanese, everyone has an Ikigai. To find it sometimes requires a long search, sometimes people live their Ikigai without actually knowing it. Simply said, it means ‘that for which you live’. In the end, happiness in your life is worth much more than money or a nice job title. Sometimes it takes time to realise this.

On the page ‘about Ikigai‘ you can read more about the diagram. This diagram clearly shows what your Ikigai is. To find it, you will have to go on a journey with yourself by asking yourself the right questions. Take your time for this. This is not answered in a day. Sometimes it takes years, and even then, your Ikigai changes with time. Because it is, of course, quite possible that after a while you will be much happier with other work. That it gives you new energy. And that is what I like about Ikigai. It’s your own path, your Ikigai path that you walk and that makes you happy. If the path stops, you can choose another path in which you live the concept of Ikigai. Ikigai is not a fixed concept. It is a concept within which there are many possibilities to find your Ikigai. As long as you have a purpose in life, you will find your Ikigai.

A useful tool to find your Ikigai is the book ‘Find your Ikigai’. It guides you step by step with assignments to find your Ikigai.

And just think, if you do what you like, time flies, it costs less energy, it makes you happy and you will grow old happily!