5 Steps to Manifest an Ikigai Future

The Ikigai taught by many new age experts is a misinterpretation of a noble Japanese concept. New age wannabes did the same thing with the Zen No-Mind as mindfulness, Reiki and Ho’oponopono healing practices turning them into money-making rackets. As a Reiki master, a Zen No-Mind and Ho’oponopono practitioner and Ikigai in the true spirit of what these originally were, let me re-present Ikigai.

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Ikigai is an ontological concept about the value of life. It's about a sense of purpose providing us the meaning to live as Frankl spoke of in Logotherapy. It's also explained as experiencing a sense of fulfilment and well-being, enjoying the value of being alive. Ikigai has nothing to do with vocation, profession or making money. It was never about what you are good at, what you love and what you or the world may need, in the context of how it's presented by its new-age proponents. What is presented today is the Western interpretation, perhaps well-intentioned, but not in the spirit of Ikigai.

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Ikigai is about day-to-day enjoyment in simple things such as walking, cooking or doing chores. It is about decluttering, simplifying with entanglement, connection and compassion in equality and diversity, not feeling lonely and uncared for.? It's about living life in fulfilment, purpose and passion.

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Yes, it's about what we are good at and our passion, but not what we or the world around us need in terms of wealth. It's about knowing our strengths and what makes us happy discovering who we are, and then asking the universe what it would like us to be to serve humanity. Robert Dilt's Logical level would make far better sense in ikigai terms in discovering who we are and what we ought to do.

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The new age interpretation of Ikigai by those not knowledgeable of Japanese traditions, especially about profession and money, creates greed leading to suffering for others or dissatisfaction though wealthy and powerful, but frustration not being happy.? As Seligman and others have pointed out wealth does not lead to happiness, nor power. Emotionally intelligent, engaged and meaningful relationships and accomplishments lead to fulfilment and happiness.

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This is an original Ikigai representation.

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Ikigai is a powerful process to coach oneself and others to a purposeful and fulfilling integrated work-life future. One needs to create an intent that aligns one's unconscious values with learnt limiting beliefs. This can be expanded into a future vision that can be manifested now.

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Self-Reflection and Discovery

?Anyone can self-coach themselves in inquiring self-reflection to discover their passion, purpose and values based on what makes them happy and perform well. for instance, someone who loves to learn, to teach and to create awareness in others may have coaching as their purpose.

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Aligning Competencies with Daily Life

?This awareness that coaching can be a possible purpose in one's life can then lead us to learn more about coaching and applying coaching competencies of listening, exploring and creating awareness to disempower themselves and others from invalidation to self-esteem and growth in day-to-day issues. Each of us can find an area in which we have more potential, some in listening, some in exploring and some in moving people into action.

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Finding Joy in Small Movements

?Each of these experiences is meaningful and value-adding to oneself and others, building relationships that help oneself and others to growth and fulfilment. We can find activities and niche interests for ourselves and help others find them to help us learn and grow. Some learn to paint, some tend animals, and some care for the underprivileged. These small shifts and movements in our daily lives help us serve others.

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Serving Self and Others

?Service in love, friendship and compassion is an expression of gratitude for what the universe provides us as Grace. Each of us can find a cause greater than ourselves to serve. The Sikh religion is based on service. Anyone who visits the Golden Temple or any Sikh Temple for that matter can only marvel at the way serving another in making and serving food, keeping the premises clean, and cleaning another's footwear makes life meaningful.

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Ikigai in Work-Life Integration

Ikigai is about what the universe wants us to be, do and have in our lives, making that our purposeful vision. When serving others becomes a purpose through whatever activity we choose to be in, we not only do what we do but excel in what we do. This expression of potential in our performance prospers in material values as it does in spirit. One's work-life becomes integrated.

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Reflection

?Ikigai is not about choosing what benefits us as a vocation. It's about finding our purposeful passion that makes our lives meaningful. When it is we benefit while we benefit others.

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If this article ignited your curiosity about the intersection of ancient wisdom with a purposeful life in today's environment, share it with your network! Subscribe to my 'Coaching the Spirit' newsletter for more cutting-edge content on coaching methodologies, spirituality, and leadership in today's dynamic workplace. Together, let's shape the future of leadership in the era of interconnected systems!

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