Ikigai: A Japanese Concept Meaning a 'Reason For Being'

This is an except from Mind Macros 08.

"This Japanese concept, [Ikigai] translates roughly as 'the happiness of always being busy.' It also seems to be one way of explaining the extraordinary longevity of the Japanese, especially on the island of Okinawa, where there are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 100,000 inhabitants—far more than the global average.

​“According to scientists who have studied the five Blue Zones, the keys to longevity are diet, exercise, finding a purpose in life (an ikigai), and forming strong social ties—that is, having a broad circle of friends and good family relations." — From Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver.

Finding our Ikigai is to find the overlapping points between four quadrants of life.

1. What we love
2. What the world needs
3. What we can be paid for
4. What we are good at

In the center is our Ikigai.