Someone recently reminded me that our ‘ikigai’ is the sweet spot at the centre, where doing what we love, what we are good at, and what we can be paid for is also giving the world what it needs.

But did you know that there are four emotions that could get in the way of fulfilling your ‘ikigai’? Eiver Stevens elaborated upon these emotions in chapter 6: ‘How to find your Ikigai: Discovering your purpose in life’.

Satisfaction
We are inclined to feel satisfied after a day’s work when we do something we enjoy, that we are good at, and that we make money from. On the flip side, we might become too satisfied and complacent and miss out on our true purpose in life. In turn, we could lose our connection with others.
The missing puzzle piece might be ‘what the world NEEDS ’.

Comfort
We are inclined to feel comfortable when we do something we are good at, that is needed, and that we make money from. In turn, we can enjoy the comforts in life that money brings. But we all know that money does not buy happiness and we could feel that something might still be missing. We could feel that we are just going through the motions out of a sense of obligation. Or maybe we feel stuck in our comfort zone of just going through our normal routine. But are we then living up to our full potential?
The missing puzzle piece might be ‘what you really LOVE ’.

Thrill
We are inclined to feel keen and excited to get to work in the morning when we do something we can make money from, that we love to do and that is needed. But when we are not good at what we are doing, we could start experiencing feelings of frustration and an underlying sense of insecurity.
The missing puzzle piece might be ‘what you are GOOD AT ’.

Delight
We are inclined to feel genuine delight when we do something that is needed, that we love to do and that we are good at. Also, we might feel that connection with others. However, if we can’t make money from what we are doing, it could lead to financial struggles. We could also end up being dependent upon others, which in turn could lead to underlying feelings of resentment.
The missing puzzle piece might be ‘what you can be PAID FOR ’.

I believe we all have something unique to offer and that we deserve the chance to do what is true, meaningful, and extraordinary for us; doing something that we are passionate about. To get a sense of where I am at in my journey living my passion and discovering my purpose, please visit my website for more details or reach out to me by completing the contact form.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
* What if you give more than you take?
* What if you are brave enough to disrupt your comfort?
* What if you are willing to put in the hard work?
* What are your financial deal breakers and how do you overcome those?

Which piece of the puzzle are you missing?

Source: Stevens, E. (2018-2020). How to find your Ikigai: Discovering your purpose in life. New York: Eternal Spiral Books. Kindle Edition.

#ikigai #purposeandmeaning #m3perspectives