Why do we get up in the morning?

What is the meaning of life?

Questions that we need to answer at some point in our lives, professionally or personally.

The Japanese concept of ikigai answers these questions by finding our reason for being.

What is ikigai, and how can we use its lessons to find meaning and happiness?

Ikigai is the happiness of always being busy, both professionally and in our day-to-day.

It is the passion and talent we have that gives meaning to our days and drives us to share the best of ourselves with the world.

When looking for our professional ikigai, we can ask ourselves four questions:

What do we love?

What are we good at?

What does the world need?

And what can we be paid for?

Ikigai is found at the intersection of these four questions, where passion, mission, vocation, and profession meet.

The characteristics of everyday ikigai are finding flow in everything we do and remaining active;

taking it slow and not worrying; cultivating good habits, including good nutrition;

nurturing good friendships; living an unhurried life and exercising daily;

being optimistic and smiling; reconnecting with nature;

giving thanks and having resilience; cherishing wabi-sabi, or the imperfection of life;

and living by "ichi-go, ichi-e", the knowledge that this moment exists only now and won't come again.

By finding our professional ikigai and living according to its characteristics in our day-to-day, we can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live among the longest in the world.

Their secret?

Living according to ikigai and thereby constantly maintaining their happiness.