Don't you just love it when you find a word in a foreign language that doesn't have an exact equivalent in English, but that perfectly describes something in your life?
For me, most recently, it was the discovery, through a dear friend, of the Japanese word ikigai. It means, loosely, a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. A purpose for your life. The intersection of what you love, are good at, can get paid for, and that the world needs. But said in one, lovely, short word.
My friend introduced this term to me after I'd finished telling her how much I love my consulting work—how I feel as though this is the work I'm MEANT to be doing, what I was put on this earth to do.
"Ikigai!" she exclaimed. "You have ikigai!" And, after telling me what it meant, and sending me an article on it, I agreed.
I have ikigai. How cool is that?
댓글