A fourth-generation toy maker, Master Masaaki learned how to make toys from his father. At eighty years old, he loves to work on his tops every day. He’s a master toymaker who has traveled the world giving workshops and guidance to aspiring toymakers who hope to follow in his footsteps. His Ikigai moves him every day to create wooden toys to make those who see them happy. He still seeks mastery every day. He never stops learning. He enjoys his full Ikigai cycle by creating toys that will bring people joy, and as a result, he receives joy in return.
The key to Ikigai is to do what you are meant to do. You have gifts that are begging to be put to good use. Understanding Ikigai is a way to put your gifts to work, so you can enjoy their benefits.
A Venn Approach to Ikigai
The world has only just begun to understand Ikigai. If you were to look up Ikigai on the internet, one of the first things you’ll find is a commonly referenced figure. It’s a Venn diagram made up of four circles arranged in a diamond pattern. The circles clearly explain Ikigai in an instant. Counterclockwise, the circle at the top represents the first lesson of Ikigai: Do what you love; the second circle, below and to the left, provides the next lesson: Do what you’re good at; the third circle, at the bottom, encourages you to: Do what the world needs; and the last circle, just up from the bottom circle, teaches the lesson: Do what you can be rewarded for.
Part of each circle overlaps parts of the others, so that they meet in the center in a confluence. Where all four circles come together in the center is where the magic of Ikigai is realized.
Ikigai is an ancient philosophy created by the sages of Okinawa. Okinawa provided the philosophy, concept, and word Ikigai. This Venn diagram, however, is a modern interpretation provided by philanthropist Marc Winn. Marc is seldom given credit for his distillation of Ikigai, but he has provided a simple interpretation for millions to understand.
According to Marc, his idea for the Ikigai Venn diagram popped into his head in 2014. He was writing a blog post about Ikigai for his website. Marc had been inspired to write his post by Dan Buettner’s celebrated book about longevity called Blue Zones. In the book, Dan brought Ikigai to the attention of his readers when he described a village in Okinawa called Ogimi.
Ogimi is renowned for its elder citizens. They are respected and revered for their wisdom and health. A stone declaration stands in the village, proudly stating that the town is the village of longevity. The declaration reads, “At eighty years old, I am still a child. When I come to see you at ninety, send me away to wait for one hundred.” Ogimi is the home of many one-hundred-year-olds who have secrets to share and lessons to pass on about many things, including Ikigai.
Marc instinctively connected Dan Buettner’s longevity research in Ogimi and its unique perspective on Ikigai with another idea he had once come across. He recalled a Venn diagram of four circles arranged in a diamond pattern with the word “purpose” in the center. He changed purpose to “Ikigai.” That small one-word change would prove to be profound. Marc included his simplification of the Ikigai into a Venn diagram in his blog post. In the months and years that followed, his translation caught on like wildfire.
By Marc’s account, millions of people around the world now understand Ikigai since the diagram first went viral. He sees his interpretation pop up in books and articles every day. His act of symbolizing Ikigai in an easy-to-understand, relatable Venn diagram launched Ikigai into the consciousness of seekers of meaning around the globe. High five, Marc! You deserve far more credit than has come your way.
Ikigai is purpose. By exchanging one word, Marc Winn has given the world a great gift: a searchable infographic that is a simple map to life’s purpose.
Try doing a search for any of these terms on the internet:
Meaning of life
Life’s purpose
Job satisfaction
Career guide
Personal brand/branding
What makes life worthwhile
Meaningful life
How to find the meaning of life
What’s the meaning of life
Living a meaningful life
Every single one of those search terms will deliver a myriad of ideas, philosophies, and opinions. But if you do a search for Ikigai, there’s a good chance you’ll see Marc Winn’s simple Venn diagram that provides you with an easy-to-read map for Ikigai and life’s purpose. Marc made life’s purpose searchable.
Marc, your connection to purpose and Ikigai is masterful. Thanks for providing us with the Ikigai Venn diagram!
If Marc Winn’s Venn diagram made Ikigai user-friendly and searchable, then I hope this book makes Ikigai doable. Doing your Ikigai is essential to carrying out your long-term purpose. As you know, life doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. Through Ikigai, you are at last provided with a map that can lead you to your life’s purpose and everyday meaning.
Follow the map and you will discover your wonderful gifts. Your mission is to share these gifts with the world. When you share your gifts with others you feel rewarded for doing it. A reminder: Ikigai has just four directions.
1.Do what you love
2.Do what you’re good at
3.Do what the world needs
4.Do what you can be rewarded for
Your Ikigai will be distinctive to you, as unique to you as the iris of your eye. So how do you find it? The answers lie in following the four directions.
As simple as the directions seem, they may feel difficult to execute. If you initially consider each of the directions as a question—What do you love? What are you good at? What do you think the world needs? What can the world reward you for?—each of the directions needs an answer to bring full clarity to your Ikigai. Your answers will come to you through your efforts. The effort is the tricky part, because as much as most people want higher purpose, it’s the last thing most people need for basic survival. A life of Ikigai makes purpose a high priority to take action with each day. A little bit of meaning every day will turn into a lifetime of joy.
In the morning, when your alarm clock rings and you reach over with your eyes still closed, blindly smacking at the off button, are you waking up to merely survive the day? You deserve more than that.
Many would have you believe that your days are supposed to be dedicated to achieving success. But success is a measurement of the ego. It only matters to you. You, and the world, deserve more than that.
When you put your Ikigai into action, you’ll wake up each morning with greater purpose. You’ll awaken to each day full of wonder. Ikigai has your map to wonder.
If you’re like most people, you’ve wondered at some point in time, “What is my life’s purpose?” It’s a question that people have been considering for a millennium,