Ikigai 生き甲斐
What’s Your Reason for Being?
The smell of paper and dusty books filled the library. I am sixteen years old, nestled in the corner during a study hall. Technically, I am supposed to be working on a project for English class. Instead, I’m doodling large swirling circles on my paper that resemble tornados. I can’t help but daydream that, maybe like Dorothy, I could be whisked away.
Remember being sixteen? Your whole life ahead of you, which is both exciting and frightening at the same time? When you wondered things like, who will I be when I grow up? What will I do? How will I make my mark on the world? And what is insurance?
I guess I was always an overthinker.
But this day, this day will change all that. For the moment, anyway. It’s the first day I’m brave with my writing.
The words hit me. Like a wave rising, ready to pound the shore. If I don’t catch it, it will burst onto the sand and then pull away, sucking itself back into the expanse of the ocean. I must act quick. I grab my pen and write. The poem is finished before the ink is dry. I sit back in my chair, satisfied; I caught the message riding the wind.
And then, the idea.
What if I share it?
It wasn’t the first poem I ever wrote. I’d written others. I’d even shown some to family and close friends, from time to time. But I’d never written so freely, without care of who would listen or like it or not. And then I realized, I’d never seen my words in typeset font, published. In something great. A book, a journal, or maybe, for this one, the national high school newspaper my English teacher, Ms. Rose, kept pestering me to submit to.
Today, I decide, I’ll be brave. I submit the poem.
I thought about this recently, while preparing for a reader event where I would sit with my books, meeting readers, strangers, fellow book lovers. It’s sometimes a strange feeling to sign a book and hand it to a reader, wondering and hoping if they will like it. Will it touch any part of their soul? Live in their being for a little while, maybe take the characters with them long after the book is shut? Or will they toss it in the trash? Or worse, never even read it?
I think about the early hours and late nights I spent working on the story. The pounding of keys, the staring at the blank page. The long walks and meditative music. The forgetting to shower because I have to write. I’ve found that the days of staring at blank, white space are equally as terrifying as the days I leave my mark on the page, bleeding.
And yet, writing is freedom. Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Annie Dillard said that writing is “life at its most free . . . because you can select your materials, invent your task, and pace yourself.”
I’ve found this to be true. Writing is not only true freedom, but is what drives me.
Which brings me to the point of today’s Substack.
Recently, I was talking with a loved one about this newfound inspiration I’ve discovered since publishing my novel. Despite the terror, the worry, the nights lying awake wondering if I could have written it better, if the world even still reads books, I’ve found myself inspired by the readers I’ve met. I realized that part of writing the book is letting it go. Letting it live on, without you. And this person said, “Finally, you’ve found your Ikigai.” To which, of course, I said, “My what?”
And he explained.
Ikigai, or “a reason for being” is a Japanese concept that encapsulates what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. Thus, this traditional Japanese philosophy aligns your talents, passions, and values with your profession. It’s about finding contentment within yourself, contributing to something greater than you.
So how do you find your Ikigai? Can you have more than one? (I think you can!)
Here are four questions to ask yourself:
1. What do I love to do?
Identify the activities that spark joy, fulfillment and enthusiasm. The things that you would do whether you were paid to do them or not. What activities make you feel most alive? Most engaged?
2. What are you good at?
What skills, talents or abilities do you seem to have a natural knack for? Make a list!
3. What can you get paid for?
How can you turn your passion into a sustainable livelihood? What is something you can start doing now to move closer to that goal?
One thing to consider here is that depending on your circumstances, this may be difficult. You might have to balance a job that drains you, or responsibilities that pile high. So, start small. What can you do for fifteen minutes a day that could build your dream over time? You’d be surprised what you can do in small chunks of time, if you are consistent. (See last week’s Substack here for tips)4. What does the world need? What kind of impact can you make on it?
Remember, it doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, what obstacles you face. It might be hard work, it might be a sacrifice, and defiantly a struggle, but you can do it, if you put in the time. It’s never too late to find your Ikigai. It’s never too soon, either.
In fact, Masako Wakamiya became one of the world’s oldest iOS app developers at age 81, finding her passion for programming and teaching others later in life. Mozart wrote his first symphony at age 8. Julia Child published her first cookbook at 50. Blaise Pascal invented the calculator at 19. Age knows no limits.
I believe we may in fact have more than one Ikigai in us, and it doesn’t always have to be about a profession. Something as simple as gardening can bring both joy to you and value you to the world.
For me, I knew my “reason for being” a long time ago, even if I didn’t call it “Ikigai.” I knew it that day in the library, and probably well before that. But it wasn’t until I was brave enough to fail that I truly understood. You see, you might have the passion, even the skill, but if you aren’t sharing it with the world, what is the point?
So what are you waiting for? Get out there, find your Ikigai and let it shine.
Till Next Time,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
P.S. Rebel Writers is coming back A Busy Lady soon! This Spring we’ll visit more author homes . . . Where will we go? Emerson, Thoreau, and Edith Wharton to name a few. Check out last year’s posts on Twain, Kipling and more . . . or better yet, grab a copy of Rebel Writers Volume 1.
Also, check out my latest favorite Podcast, The Lot of It! After finishing college at barely age 20, the podcast host, Dana, navigates life, sharing her insights and tips on creativity, goal setting, and more! Check it out!
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A Busy Lady is written by an actual human—no AI, just chocolate, creativity, and a love for storytelling. This also means there may be an occasional typo, just to prove a human did it ;)
loved this...