“That you, living in the here and now, are the one who determines your own life.”
― Ichiro Kishimi,
Jay Ledesma
I have been always fascinated with the Japanese culture which is a blend of the old and new. When one thinks of modern technology and innovation, the Japanese brands will always be top of mind. They are also known for producing the best quality products in the world. But while they are recognized for their technological prowess, they remain deeply rooted to their ancient traditions and practices. The Japanese Zen, Ikigai, and Kaizen, are some of the popular Japanese principles that most of us are familiar with. Amidst their modern, fast-paced and stressful lifestyle, they continue to be guided by these inspiring Japanese principles. These principles enabled them to find inner peace and happiness, in a rather toxic world. No wonder Japan is in the top list of countries with the highest life expectancy rate. These principles allowed them to see life in a different perspective and contributed to their longevity.
Now, the good news is, these principles are not exclusive to Japanese only. Anyone and everyone, including you and me, can adopt and practice these principles to live a simpler but better life. In this 2-part article, I will share some of the Japanese principles that have personally inspired and influenced me. Some I have been practicing for quite some time while others are my recent adoptions.
Ikigai (What’s Your Purpose) – For me, this is the mother of all the Japanese principles. Everything that we do, starts from our understanding of our purpose in life. Why do we wake up every morning? What or who is our big WHY? When we are clear with the reason of our being, the rest will be easier.
But basic as it may sound, knowing your real purpose in life, can be challenging for most. They go through life not having their sense of purpose. They are not living life…they are just going through the motion. If you are still struggling to find your Ikigai, answering these 4 questions can be a good starting point:
What do you love doing? – Think of your hobbies; think of what relaxes or rejuvenates you, of what gives you energy. Something that you are most passionate about, that which gives you joy and satisfaction and makes you excited
What are you good at? – relates to your strengths, competencies, skills and talents
What you can be paid for? – that which can earn you a living and support your financial needs
What does the world need? – that which will positively impact and make a difference to the people around you
If what you love intersects with your strengths (questions 1 and 2), then ikigai says that you have found your passion. For example, if you love singing and you have excellent voice and musicality, your passion is singing!
If the world needs singers and you love to sing (questions 4 and 1), you found your life’s mission.
Now, if people need a singer and they are willing to pay you to sing for them, you found a vocation (questions 3 and 4). If they’re willing to pay you for singing and you’re really good at it , you found your profession (questions 2 and 4).
Ikigai is the intersection where your passion, mission, vocation and profession meet. If what you love doing is something you are good at doing and something which the world needs and is willing to pay you for doing, then you have found your Ikigai – your life’s true meaning and purpose.
Knowing your Ikigai will give you a deeper sense of meaning and direction in your life. As they say, find your Ikigai and you will never have to “work” a day in your life.
Kaizen (Always seek to improve) – What have you done so that you will be better today than you were yesterday? And be better tomorrow than you are today? When was the last time you learned a new word, read a new book or an article, listened to a podcast or attended a seminar? Kaizen is all about finding or making ways to improve in all areas of your life… from business or career growth to personal development. It promotes the idea of constantly learning and evolving to become a better version of ourself. It teaches us that change is inevitable and necessary for growth. Now, don’t think that changes and growth should always be big, major and instant. We can start with small ones. Small but continuous and consistent changes can add up and make a huge difference over time. The key is to have a growth mindset… belief that we can always improve, develop whatever abilities we have. Never stop learning. Keep an open mind.
One common denominator among successful people is their thirst for learning and growth. They believe that there is always an aspect in their life that they should and can improve. Despite and in spite of their successes and achievements, they never sat on their laurels. They constantly set goals, identify their action steps, focus on incremental and consistent progress and celebrate small wins to motivate them even more. They even use their failures to learn lessons and be better in what they do. The don’t compete with other people, they compete with themselves. Always, their question is… what’s next?
By adopting and practicing the principle of Kaizen, you will be more open to embrace changes and welcome new ideas that are both essential for improvement and accomplishments in all aspects of your life.
Oubaitori (Never compare yourself with others) – We were born unique. Even identical twins are not 100% alike. Each one of us have our own distinct qualities, strengths and weaknesses. We grow and develop differently, even if we belong to the same family, school or community. We have our own timelines, our own shining moments. There are things that others can do that we cannot do. In the same token, that there are also many things that we can do which other people cannot. But sometimes, instead of being proud of what we have and what makes us unique, we tend to compare ourselves to other people. There is nothing wrong in admiring and being inspired by the success of other people. However, it becomes unhealthy when we already put unnecessary stress and pressure on ourselves by measuring ourselves against others. There are times, we fail to recognize our own works and achievements only because it’s not equal with those of other people. The Oubaitori principle emphasizes the importance of appreciating our own worth and focusing on our own progress and development instead of comparing ourselves to what others have become or achieved. It teaches us to be kinder to ourself, be thankful for what we have, understand that we have our own different circumstances and focus on what can motivate us to achieve our goals.
More than ever, we need to apply Oubaitori in our life now. With everyone flexing all the niceties about themselves in the social media, it is very tempting to feel envious and compare ourselves with others. By practicing Oubaitori, not only do we stop comparing ourselves with others and start appreciating our worth but we can also look forward to living life more contented and happier.
Next issue, we will look into the other Japanese principles of Shikata ga nai, Wabi Sabi and Shu-ha-ri. For now, let’s learn and apply the above teachings in our lives. (Jay Ledesma)