**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."
Each individual's ikigai is unique to them, their values, and beliefs. It reflects the inner self of an individual and expresses that faithfully, while simultaneously creating a mental state in which the individual feels at ease. Activities that allow one to feel ikigai are never forced on an individual; they are often spontaneous, and always undertaken willingly, granting personal satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.
Open Questions
- What are the Japanese words for the rest of the diagram?
- How are these broken down into English?