Ikigai, a concept from Okinawa, is believed to support the longevity and well-being of its people, who have one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world.
A common modern interpretation of ikigai includes four areas: what you love (activities that genuinely bring joy and energy), what you are good at (your abilities, strengths, and expertise), what the world needs (making a positive impact on others, your community, or society), and what you can be paid for (work or service that is economically sustainable)(Garcรญa & Miralles, 2017; Mogi, 2018).
Ikigai is not something to pursue as a fixed framework. Rather, it is a modest concept that develops from within through gradual attention to those areas of life, without setting a specific goal. It is a daily practice, without hurry and without pause.
It is worth noting that, outside Okinawa, Japanese people use the term ikigai casually and personally rather than as a structured philosophy. The Western โfour-circleโ Venn diagram is much less central in Japan than it is in international self-help literature.