Ikigai

Ikigai can be big or small, serious or casual. I used to joke with my best friend, "食べることが生きがい" (Eating is my ikigai). We both loved food. She would say, "Happiness comes when I'm hungry. Because then I can eat more!"

Ikigai can be a life goal, but also a daily confirmation. When I was in burnout, I read that keeping a gratitude journal could help. But just the thought of it gave me more stress. I knew I had so much to be grateful for—a roof above my head, a loving husband, children doing great and generally healthy, and so on. How dare I be ungrateful? Isn’t "burnout" a luxury?

But then I read something else in The Change Journal. It's not only about saying thank you, but also about thinking of the why.

"Speaking of gratitude: The point is for you to be aware of all the positive things happening in your own life. Make sure to realize what makes it more satisfying and you happy... It's about being fair and conscious of the things that you benefit from—situations and people that you wouldn't want to miss in your life."

So I started thinking about my daily ikigai’s. One step at a time. Using the 10 rules of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, I reflected on my day and searched for my ikigai. What moved me? What made me happy? I made it a habit, one step at a time. Then gradually, I could change my perspective. I saw the clouds, the sky, the grass. I felt the sun, heard the leaves dancing in the wind, smelled the earth. This was my path to recovery.