Finding your raison d'être through Ikigaï

We've all experienced that unpleasant feeling of helplessness of not knowing what to do with our lives, what direction to take, a choice of studies, a choice of work, an orientation. Having the feeling of doing meaningless work[1], wanting to give up one's passion and talents for fear of not being able to cope financially, or stagnating in one's professional life are all situations that have affected one or other of us in our lives.

Few people have managed to find the right balance in their professional life between "what they enjoy", "what helps them feel useful", "what they are good at" and "what allows them to earn a living". How do you combine talent[2], passion, service to the community and a decent salary in a single job? A difficult equation, to which the Japanese have come up with a solution: the Ikigaï method.

What is Ikigai?

Iki, in Japanese, means "life" and Gaï, means "the realization of what we expect, what we hope for". It can also be translated as "raison d'être", "joie de vivre" or even "salt of life". Ikigai therefore refers to a person's raison d'être, their life mission, but also their joie de vivre, their passions[3]. It's a philosophy of life that can help you find your vocation and the best career path[4], and thus achieve happiness. The longevity and joie de vivre of the Japanese - particularly the inhabitants of Okinawa, "the island of centenarians" - is based primarily on this Ikigai.

They believe that living in harmony with one's raison d'être leads to a zen and fulfilled life. And it's this joie de vivre that is largely responsible for their good health. This method is particularly effective for :

• those seeking direction;
• those who want to change their lives;
• those who simply want to know themselves better;
• those in search of meaning;
• those in career transition who want to re-evaluate their professional choices.

Like optimal experience (flow), the pleasure we derive from practicing our Ikigai can be so strong that we forget all about time and our surroundings. The source of motivation provided by your Ikigai can help you move mountains to achieve a goal.

We no longer work just to earn a living, but above all to find meaning in what we do. We want to find an activity that thrills us. You want to get up in the morning with enthusiasm and the desire to make a contribution to the world. If we all get involved, we can rest assured that tomorrow's world will be a better place to live in.

So how do you find your Ikigai?

Revealing it requires genuine self-searching. Knowing what forces drive us[5] and finding your Ikigai requires effort, patience and, above all, deep introspection. It's an invitation to go deep inside, to dig, to look ourselves in the face, and to realize what's really important to us. This is a far cry from the need to find one's "professional orientation" before the age of 16, as is imposed on children in North America! The meaning of life is not to be found in psychometric tests...

To find it, all you need is a pen and a blank page on which to draw circles of the Ikigai symbol, answering the following four questions:

1. "What do I love to do[6]?" What aspects of your life really make you feel alive?
2. "What are my talents[7]?" It's simply a matter of knowing what you're good at. What do you succeed at naturally, without much effort?
3. What cause[8] would I like to champion? "What do I think the world needs[9]? What would you give your life for? What makes you sad? What change would you like to bring about in the world?
4. What value can you bring to others[10]? What service could you provide that brings real value to others? A need or a solution for which people would be happy and willing to pay you.

Your Ikigaï is the thread that links your four answers. It's the job that makes sense for you, but also for the world and for your finances. Obviously, finding your Ikigai is a subjective task, because what you think the world needs is certainly not what your neighbor thinks. In this sense, there is no such thing as a bad Ikigai.