“The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida;” for both it translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy” - Bluezones.com
Moai means "meeting for a common purpose" and kaizen is the approach to continuous, incremental improvement.
The “sweet spot” in living your life is found in the middle of:
- You focusing on what you love
- You doing the things you are good at
- You get compensated for what you do
- You fulfill needs
Your ikigai is found in the middle of all four, in short, your “reason for being”. Another common way of describing your ikigai is, “why you gladly get up in the morning and face the day”.
This Moai is intentional in helping you grow continuously (kaizen) toward living a full life of fulfilling your purpose, your ikigai. In business leadership models, you learn to set goals, and then action plans to achieve the goals. This is great, I set up smart goals and miracle one sheets all the time. But when I accomplish that, something bigger and better has to come next. Your ikigai, however, is a way of life. There is no end. You keep fulfilling your passion until you cannot anymore. Sorry to all the absolute, black and white, cut and dry people, “it just don’t stop!”.
Listen, there will always be people in your circle who will try to take advantage of your gifts, talents, personality, and everything that makes you so wonderful. (Can you really blame them?) Do not get discouraged in this. If you go along with them (because you want to) know that you are filling a need. That person may get the help they want, but until they start to fulfill needs and do the things they were called to do they will certainly STAY EMPTY. You will always look and feel more successful, because success is you doing the things you were fearfully and wonderfully made to do.