Ikigai :A reason for being

A Reason for Being

Ikigai is a Japanese cultural concept and the word is roughly translated as “reason to live” or ‘a reason for being’ . It is a concept which heavily relies on following your passion and having a reason to get up in the morning.

Causeachatter and Ikigai

Recently I participated in a group video chat arranged by Blogchatter in which we all discussed about each of our Ikigai as a part of causeachatter. It was a refreshing experience. That session really got me thinking.

Ikigai can be defined by answering four simple questions:

• What you love?

• What you are good at?

• What the world needs?

• What you can get paid for?

My Ikigai

Ikigai for me is definitely reading , baking and gardening.Reading for me is sort of a life force whereas, baking and gardening as hobbies require a fair amount of time and sweat. But they definitely contribute a lot to my happiness. I have been practicing these hobbies for a pretty long time now and they have never failed me to uplift me.

I feel my strength lies in my perseverance. Even if I don’t find success at the first instant, I try try and try again. Until I get satisfactory results. This helps me both professionally as well as personally. If a cake fails to rise, I turn in into a brownie. If it is too dry, I convert it into a cake rusk.

I remember my struggles with bread baking. In those days I was hell bent on not giving up before I was successful in baking a fluffy and soft loaf of bread. I apply the same theory in my gardening endeavours.
For me whenever I find myself questioning my Ikigai, I refer to these phases as my spells of existential crisis. In fact these thoughts are a sort of indicator for me. The moment I have these thoughts, I know immediately that I should start focusing on activities that kindle joy in my heart.

Ikigai and Mental Wellness

One cause that I have been passionately supporting in Causachatter is mental health. I love the fact that my Ikigai, contribute to my cause. Despite a lot of dialogue around mental health in todays world, the taboo is still rampant. It is difficult to share too much as there is a fear of judgement as well as exploitation.

That judgement comes from within the most. If somebody has a fever or a stomach upset, there is no second thought regarding visiting a doctor. But the awareness around mental health is so abysmally poor, that by the time people realise they need help a lot of damage has already been done! Investing time and effort in doing things that make you feel happy, that make your creative juices flow are extremely important for nurturing your mental health

Left Brain-Right Brain

Our creativity is linked to the right brain which is more visual and intuitive and is sometimes refer to as the analog brain. It has a more creative and less organized and open minded way of thinking.(healthline). Left brain deals with logical thinking, maths, reading, writing etc.

Concepts like Ikigai are sure shot coping strategy for mental wellness management.
To activate your right brain, engage in mentally stimulating activities which increase vitality and potentially generate new brain cells.(webmd).

Easy things to do for Mental Wellness

Simple activities like reading a book, engaging in a conversation, playing a musical instrument or doing a hobby puts your brain to work and initiates both left and right brain activity. They are like super chargers for our brain. So in this fast paced and super busy modern life, do take out time to nourish your Ikigai and engage in enjoyable activities that stimulate you.

This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter.