​Ikigai, pronounced “eek-ee-guy” in English, is a Japanese concept and comes from the Japanese words “iki” – to live and “gai” – value, worth or reason.  There are a number of meanings for Ikigai including: having joy and a sense of well-being for being alive, having a purpose or reason to get out of bed in the morning, and finding purpose and meaning in one’s life.

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There are many aspects to Ikigai and many interpretations of how to use Ikigai to develop a sense of well-being.  The most structured and formal version of Ikigai  can be used to help you determine your career path so that you can use the talents that you have, be rewarded for them, contribute to the good of society, and feel fulfilled in your work.  However, the aspect of Ikigai that this post is about concerns finding meaning and fulfilment in everyday activities or, in other words, recognising and appreciating the extraordinary in the ordinary.

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A good life will include many moments of great joy and happiness, and these should be enjoyed and appreciated.  However, these may only occur occasionally.  True well-being can be achieved by finding meaning and fulfilment in everyday life – the highs, the lows, and the ordinary.  Obviously, we can all find joy and fulfilment in the major events of our lives: marriage, the birth of a child, success in our career, great sporing achievements, a “bucket list” holiday, and so on.  We should appreciate these when they occur, and it is great and important that we do so.

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But consider how much more fulfilling and joyful our lives could be if we could find fulfilment and joy in everyday activities and events.  Are we open in our daily lives to recognising and appreciating such activities and events?  What about when we hear a bird singing, when we see the smile of a child, when we feel the sunshine on our face, when we hear a kind word from a friend, when we see the beauty of a flower, when we hear the sound of waves or a river, when we eat a lovely meal, when we complete a work task, and so on?  There is so much in our daily lives that we can appreciate, be grateful for, and recognise the “extraordinary in the ordinary”.  Daffodils are blooming as I write here now.  There are billions and billions of flowers in bloom across the world.  So, a blooming flower is one of the most ordinary things in the world.  However, if we reflect upon a flower, and appreciate it, then it can be seen as most extraordinary.  Just like the daffodils, there is so much in our ordinary lives from which we can find joy and fulfilment, so much that may seem ordinary, but we can elevate to extraordinary if we choose to do so.  If we do, then our lives become less ordinary and more extraordinary.

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If we choose to take the time to do so then our lives, even those days that are ordinary and mundane, can be more joyful and fulfilling.  It is really about being grateful and appreciative.  Ikigai just broadens our horizons in terms of what and where to look for such activities and events.

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If we can combine this attitude and behaviour with the completion of a Gratitude Diary, discussed in another post on this site, then we have some powerful tools to help us through the good days but also through those days when things do not go well for us.

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There is much more to Ikigai and many life-changing concepts for us to embrace.  But for now, don’t just wait for the major life events to bring you fulfilment and joy.  Don’t always be searching for fulfilment and joy elsewhere.

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Let us choose to observe, reflect upon, and appreciate the extraordinary in our own lives, in the present.  Life, even what may be considered an “ordinary life”, can be so much better.