The book Ikigai describes why people in certain communities reach extremely high ages. Turns out these people:⠀
Eat healthy and with modesty⠀
Are closely connected⠀
Exercise daily⠀
Work up to high age from their Ikigai⠀
And this way lot’s of inhabitants of these communities reach ages over 100 in a relaxed and healthy way. ⠀
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Especially the Ikigai fascinates me. This describes the reason for living. Or the overlap between:⠀
what you love⠀
what you’re good at⠀
what the world needs⠀
what you get payed for⠀
Finding your Ikigai
Finding your Ikigai can be quite the search. I started my working life mainly focused on the outside: what is expected of me, how can I contribute and where am I needed? ⠀
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Until I discovered that that wouldn’t make me happy on the long term. Plus to réally make an impact I had to turn inwards, to what drives me. Because that’s where the energy and passion is, to really make a valuable contribution. ⠀
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And I hated it. The first time someone asked me “what are your talents?” all I thought was “ehhhh….nothing? anything I can do, others can do too”. And I really believed that!⠀
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With the support of others I gained clarity on my talents and qualities and learned to appreciate them. Then came the next step… What is my mission (or Ikigai)? ⠀
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What came up then was: “supporting others on their path of personal development”.⠀
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Oi did I have judgements about that. “Sure…the next coach that turns their own experience into helping others. Who’s looking for another one of those…”⠀
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So the next challenge was to let these thoughts and judgements be and make the jump anyway. ⠀
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Now that I have been working as a coach for a couple of years I notice that
it gives me só much energy and fulfilment that I don’t really care anymore what others think and
that more and more I find my own niche where I can have the biggest impact. ⠀
Right now it is: inspiring young people to choose their own path by standing up for their needs and desires, which I do with a balance between depth and spirituality on one side and level-headedness and pragmatism on the other. ⠀