ikigai + my attitude.

“if you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. for where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.”

- saint augustine

This past weekend marks the two-year anniversary of the day I had my pacemaker heart operation.

At the time I made a commitment that I would go away for a day or two on my own to reflect, refocus, recalibrate, and dwell on gratitude and thanksgiving, all whilst trying to disconnect, journal and chill.

Before I went away as we all do, I was pondering my raison d’être (reason for being) and thinking about what I really wanted to achieve with my life, you know, the REALLY big topics!

I had been reading about the Japanese concept of ikigai. Which translates to “a reason to live.” It’s a concept that encourages people to discover what truly matters to them and to live a life filled with purpose and joy.

When you wake up in the morning, you know that you are going to die one day, so with this is mind, what is your purpose? Life is short, so why would you waste your days lying in bed and scrolling?

The four rules of ikigai are about all about discovering:

-        Your passion (what you love)

-        Your vocation (what you're good at)

-        Your mission (what the world needs)

-        Your profession (what you can be paid for).

By exploring and finding the intersection of these four elements, you’re set on the path to discovering your ikigai, a life filled with purpose and joy.

Everyone has a part of the four rules that is in some way or form is malnourished when compared to the others, and when you look to fulfil and impact these areas, you gain a new sense of wholeness and joy.

So, after dwelling on this recently, a good friend suggested that I listen to a music podcast, with one of my favourite vocalists/ frontmen…who unbeknownst to me (and to my friend) ended the last 15 mins of the pod discussing this exact topic of ikigai.

His sentiment really resonated and whilst I sometimes believe in ‘signs’ I don’t think that this was any coincidence.

I have been thinking about how it is our mission in life to find what makes us unique and special, and once you discover this, you can then help others achieve the same thing.

Finding your ikigai involves a journey. A journey of self-reflection, exploration, honesty, and rawness. When you start to focus on what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for you can begin to align your actions with your insights. I’ve been working through this and whilst it's a personal journey that requires patience, I really feel it will be eventuate in a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Now here in my forty-fourth year, I am a strong believer that the longer I live the more I realise the impact of my attitude on every aspect of my life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, and it is more important than the past. It is more important than appearance or skill. It will make or break your relationships, your company, your home and ultimately your world.

The remarkable thing is how we have such a strong choice every day regarding the attitude we decide to embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one card that we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

As I focus on my ikigai, I must also consider my choices when it comes to my attitude, on a daily and regular basis, because I want to make my world a place full of joy where my attitude is never in question.

“And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.”

- charles swindoll