This following was written by internationally renowned Author, Consultant,  & Inspirational Speaker. It is based upon excerpts from her book, The Okinawa in me:  FINALLY Finding my IKIGAI (Reason for Being!)

 

How Can I Find MY IKIAGI (Reason for Being!) AND Add Seven Good Years to MY Life?

 

Read on and you will discover four powerful questions to help you FINALLY find YOUR IKIGAI (Reason for Being!) and add seven great years to your life.

Photo by Rob Oechsle  

Peak of IE Island set on fire by the sun

Okinawa, Japan, has more healthy people 110 years and older than anywhere in the world. One of their keys to long life is to find their Ikigai (reason for being/waking up!). This article is excerpted from Martha R. A. Fields eighth and latest book, The Okinawa in me: FINALLY Finding my IKIGAI (Reason for Being!) The book discusses how to find Purpose, Work, & Well-Being Success despite what Martha calls the 3C’s: Change, COVID, & Challenges! It also provides information on Eight Healthy Longevity Principles of people from the “Blue Zones” which are the five places that people live the longest and are the healthiest in the world.

Find Your Ikigai (Reason for Being!), Then Live Your Dreams Daily

 

WHAT IS IKIGAI?

(REASON FOR BEING/ WAKING UP!)

 

 

Photo by: Rob Oechsle                         

Girl Under a Mushroom Rock

 

An essential element to achieving healthy longevity is to find what the Okinawans call:

IKIGAI

(pronounced EE-key-guy) 

IKIGAI translates to “Reason for Being/Waking Up!”

IT IS A TERM DERIVED FROM TWO JAPANESE WORDS:

“iki” meaning “life or alive,” and

“gai” which is a derivative of “kai” meaning “worth, value, effect or benefit.”

 

The Okinawan word Ikigai means the reason you wake up in the morning. What is your purpose, your reason for being, on this earth? After you find your Ikigai, you will be thrilled to wake up and complete work that adds worth and value to people around the globe.

 

Studies have discovered that one element which contributes to Okinawans’ longevity is that they work hard to discover their life’s purpose. Individuals usually find their Ikigai by answering four powerful questions, which you will learn more about later in this chapter. 

 

The concept of Ikigai originated in Okinawa but is not exclusive to it. All the “Blue Zones” (the five places where people live the longest and are the healthiest in the world) have a similar idea. For example, the French call it “raison d’etre” and individuals from the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica say, “Plan de vida.” Regardless of the term, Ikigai is about doing exactly what you were sent to accomplish on earth. It is what propels  individuals to feel satisfied, fulfilled, and at peace.

 

Ikigai is about giving back

Ikigai is not a selfish or negative thing. It is about giving back. The motivation for individuals to find their Ikigai is not to acquire more wealth and riches but to help others succeed in life and at work.

 

 “With Ikigai, you are striving to make a positive, memorable difference in the world and help others do the same!”

-MRAF 

 

The Okinawans believe that everyone has an Ikigai. ONLY the individual, however, can define and discover it. As the old proverb goes, “Not your mama. Not your daddy. Not your sisters. Not your brothers. But YOU. YOU. YOU. YOU. YOU!”

 

Ikigai Examples

Because individuals who have found their Ikigai are doing what they love to do and are good at doing, they wake up thrilled and ready to start their day. A person’s Ikigai can be something simple. For others, it is about performing enormous and complex miracle work in the world. Here are a few examples of Ikigai:

 

• Sharing knowledge with children and grandchildren about what they can do to stay healthy and live longer.

 

• Doing an outstanding job at work, then spending quality time at home with family and friends.

 

• Teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects to students so they can procure meaningful jobs.

 

• Caring for elderly nursing home patients in hospices.

 

• Conducting research to cure cancer, diabetes or prevent pandemics from spreading.

 

• Connecting others through party planning so they have fun in life.

 

• Planting and caring for a garden that will supply fresh and nutritious vegetables and fruits to lower-income communities.

 

• Combatting global warming.

 

• Picking up litter off beaches.

 

• Bringing diverse people together and working to eliminate racism and sexism.

 

• Volunteering at a local orphanage to help young children know they are loved.

 

• Taking great care of aging parents and driving them to medical appointments.

 

Incredible things happen when you discover your Ikigai

Many who find their Ikigai report that amazing things happen in their lives. They report experiencing:

 

• A newly discovered meaning and purpose to everyday living.

 

• A reason for waking up thrilled, happy, elated, joyous and more fulfilled in their personal lives and at work.

 

• An increased positive and optimistic world outlook and belief that every day brings a new adventure to be explored.

 

• A desire to be alive and participate in what the universe has to offer as each new day provides a golden opportunity for them to fulfill their Ikigai. 

 

Ikigai adds years to life

Renowned “Blue Zones” researcher Dan Buettner states: “Research has shown that knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.”

 

Answer four questions to find your Ikigai

The secret to finding Ikigai lies in an individual’s ability to answer only four questions. While this seems relatively easy, for some it is a daunting task that presents major challenges.

 

Below are the Four Powerful Questions YOU Must Answer to Find your IKIGAI (Reason for Being!) AND Add Seven Good Years to Your Life. Read Martha’s Book and  Learn More About Them.

 

 

 

About  Martha R. A. Fields

Martha grew up in Okinawa and was a Vice-President at a Harvard Medical School Affiliated Hospital. She is currently President and CEO of OKI ME, LLC, a management consulting firm in historic Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Their mission is: “Helping People World-Wide Find Purpose, Work, &  Well-Being  Success!” As a “Citizen of the world and the USA,” she has lived and worked around the globe. Her clients include the world’s top Fortune 5oo companies, Ivy League Schools, Healthcare & Financial Organizations, & NGO’s.

 

 

“Helping People World-Wide Find Life & Work Success!” Her impressive international global client list includes Fortune 500