You Just Can't See What It Is

Thank you for being here, my friend.

So what is Ikigai?

It is a Japanese concept that translates to "that which makes life worth living," or your "reason for being." The concept is ancient, and longevity research with the people of Okinawa, Japan has linked living your Ikigai to a longer, healthier, more meaningful life. The idea is that when key dimensions of your life overlap, you arrive at that place where life feels whole.

Many Western versions shrink Ikigai into a formula for the perfect career, or reduce it to what earns you money. But your Ikigai does not have to involve a job or a paycheck at all. It is far deeper than that, and it can lead to abundance in all forms. It is also not something you go out and find, or build from scratch. It is already within you, yours to rediscover and reinvent in this season of your life.

This assessment measures how your particular four dimensions: Strengths, Passions, Values, and Contribution, show up in your life right now, and which of them may be quietly getting the least of you. That is what makes the overlaps easier to see, so you can begin to bring your Ikigai out into the world.

Here is what often sits underneath the decision to take an assessment like this. During a career or life transition especially, you may have said it to a friend, or only thought it in the quiet moments. Some version of "I feel like I've lost myself," or "I don't remember who I am anymore," or "I don't even know where to start."

When we feel this way, many of us try to fix everything at once, or wait for the feeling to pass. It rarely passes, because the answer was never to blow up your life and start over. It is not a rewrite. It is a reinvention of what you already have.

But you cannot rebuild what you cannot see. In the next few minutes you will find out which dimension has been getting the least of you, and a first step you can take toward your reason for being.

So which one is it for you?