What is your IKIGAI?

WHY DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?

I humbly leave these two questions here as a BOLD invitation to the discovery of your WHY.

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I would love to leave the above as a statement piece blog, but I'm not sure that's a thing yet. Also, I do owe you an explanation of what an IKIGAI is.

"Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being." The word "ikigai" is usually used to indicate the source of value in one's life or the things that make one's life worthwhile. The word translated to English roughly means "thing that you live for" or "the reason for which you wake up in the morning." - Wikipedia

So how DOES one go about finding their IKIGAI? The good news is, there are four simple questions you can begin with:

1. What are you PAID for?
2. What are you GOOD at?
3. What do you LOVE doing? (even if you're not paid to do it)
4. What does the WORLD need?

There are also THREE principle aspects of IKIGAI as suggested by Ken Mogi, a neuroscientist and the author of Awakening Your Ikigai:

1. Starting SMALL and ACCEPTING yourself
2. Connecting with OTHERS and the PLANET
3. Finding JOY in little things and being PRESENT

One of the things I love about writing is to INSPIRE through word-smithing or storytelling. Compared to my previous blogs, the above entry thus far, hardly scratches the surface of such aspirations. I do have a method to my madness, though it isn't always obvious, please do bear with me, and I hope to leave you with an inspired heart and an awakened mind (to this concept that is ... anything extra is just bonus).

It is one thing to ANSWER the above ikigai questions, it is a whole other thing to FIND the answer to these questions. Allow me to elaborate with a personal example.

I have recently edited my opening page which states "My IKIGAI". When I first came across this word a while back, it inspired me to pen down what I felt was at the CORE of my being. Here's how it went.

What I LOVE: Writing about life, expressing ideas, poetry, haiku, short stories and motivational quips. Practicing yoga and internal reflections, walks in nature, compassionate acts towards nature, animals and humanity.

What I OFFER the world: Innovative solution to Creative Self-Expression. With a passion for Creativity, Innovation, Integrity and Authenticity in thoughts, words, and deeds.

What I am/can be PAID FOR: Writing, teaching yoga, books (in the making), training, facilitating. And hopefully to sit and spin out creative ideas/solutions at whim!

What I'm GOOD at: Hypnotising my Yoga students apparently! Writing from the heart, being a hopeless romantic, passionate utopian, innovator and creator of all things fun and uplifting.

Although I had an understanding and passion for what I wanted to do, I didn't have CLARITY and FOCUS. It was fun, and sure, it describes my personality. However, it does not inspire, even myself, as to WHY I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING.

I've recently reviewed this over a course of several months, and again today. Yup, finding out what REALLY makes you tick, sometimes takes a little time and TLC.

As I did this exercise with greater FOCUS and guidance through our training, much more was revealed. Here's My IKIGAI today.

What I am PAID FOR: Training, facilitating, teaching yoga, writing, inspiring personal breakthroughs and leadership development.

What I’m GOOD at: Inspiring, Awakening, Catalysing, Igniting, J.E.D.I. L.E.A.D.ers to L.I.F.E.

What I LOVE: Empowering people to awaken their dreams and live out their highest potential.

What I OFFER the world: I am a J.E.D.I. catalyst, igniting L.E.A.D.ers to L.I.F.E.

— J.E.D.I. L.E.A.D. L.I.F.E. —

Joyful Engaged Daring Inspiring

Leaders who Empower & Awaken Dreams;

Living Intentional Fulfilling Expressions

I realised a funny thing about the clarity and focus I gained as I sharpened my words, intentions, and dug deeper into my psyche. I started remembering things from my life - childhood through adulthood. I had a "Life flashing in front of your eyes" moment, except it wasn't because I was dying, but because I was truly coming ALIVE.

My goal growing up has been to live my best life, that is to reach my highest potential, live a life of no regrets, and when the time comes - say goodbye to this world feeling completely fulfilled in having lived. I grew up caring deeply about wellness - physical, mental, emotional and psychological. I enjoy sharing whatever I learn with anyone who would listen, because I want others to reap the same joy and benefits as I have - in their OWN way of course. (The clues I'm leaving here are thought processes over the years)

Back then, I was more concerned in figuring out why people weren't living their full potential, hence I ended up studying Psychology. NOW, I'm interested in figuring out HOW people CAN reach their full potential, and I'm getting licensed to be a COACH.

The word JEDI is special to me not because I'm a Star Wars fan. At the risk of being lynched, allow me to confess that I'm actually a Star Trek fan. BUT I've always LOVED Yoda. He understands that the force lives within ALL in the universe. We only need to wield it. The concept of a universal energy source that runs through all life, is at my CORE, my highest truth. The FORCE is universal, divine, unconditional and eternal. It has UNLIMITED potential!

I believe that we are gifted with the same FORCE of unlimited potential. Based on our human form and conditioning, the unlimited potential manifests through various talents skills. When realised FULLY and APPLIED unrestrictedly - it is our highest potential in motion. This truth, ideal, belief and value of mine is best conceptualised through the idea of a JEDI. This is part of that core that lends itself in the languaging of my ikigai.

Using the IKIGAI as a tool, and countless hours of introspection, courage to release limiting beliefs, growth, learning and re-inventing - I FOUND my answer. Is it THE answer? I don't know, but it is a real good one for me, and it IGNITES passion from within.

If you found my personal journey interesting, I'm honoured, BUT that is not WHY I shared it. Through the paragraphs detailing my story, I left a lot of clues and revealed what lay inside of me in terms of thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams. Sure, they were charged with passion, but it took a lot a lot of awareness and clarity to bring it to sharp FOCUS.

As a coach, we have to dissect and process a tool before we can apply it. The best way for this is to practice it on ourselves.

Having gone through this process I can appreciate the blind spots we all have as humans. Despite our best efforts, we don't dive as deep as we CAN. The thing that keeps us away from reaching the depths of our PASSION and DREAM is not just a lack of awareness and perspective, but layers of limiting beliefs, uncertainties, what if's and what not's.

It takes heart to GO AFTER our DREAMS. It takes courage to FIGHT FOR IT. It takes clarity and focus to FIND our WAY TO IT. It takes determination to take ONE STEP at a TIME to ACHIEVE IT.

As a coach it is an honour and privilege to be a part of a coachee's dream. It could be becoming the BEST Dad ever, to be a FUN teacher, to be a SUCCESSFUL beautician, to be a SWIM INSTRUCTOR etc. Whatever the dream, if it BRINGS JOY to their BEING, and excites them in expressing their craft; then, it will inevitably touch the lives of their clients/students/family/friends in meaningful ways.

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Each act has a ripple effect. The way to create a beautiful world around us, is to make each drop as JOYFUL, INSPIRING and UPLIFTING as possible.

What is one thing you can do today that is an expression of your Ikigai?

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**Note: This blog entry is to meet Catalyst Coaching Certification course content of FLOW5 C.O.A.C.H Process on the Core module: "HOW WE WORK WITH CLIENTS TO FIND THEIR IKIGAI!"

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