When studying the relationship between health and happiness I came across a Japanese word that struck a chord within me: IKIGAI.

Researchers studying longevity and healthy aging found certain ‘Blue Zones’ around the world. The people living in these areas not only had significantly longer life spans, but they also reached old age, sometimes 110+ years, with a ‘joie de vivre’ that was outstanding.

By now you may have heard about the benefits of foods rich in antioxidants, green and white tea, Omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil, seaweed, and a colorful plant-rich diet with plenty of fibers. Eating habits in which the 80% rule of never eating too much is dominant adds to this.

You may also have heard you should have a daily routine that includes at least 30 minutes of light exercises.

What you may not know yet is that these centenarians all had very strong social connections in which they felt part of a bigger tribe or family. And with this tribe, or Moai in Japan, there is plenty of celebrating whatever can be celebrated in life.

Playing active games is a vital part within these groups and during celebrations. Many of the centenarians are growing their own vegetable and fruit gardens, which adds to their daily physical activity. They live long and die quickly, mostly in their sleep, and often after just having had sex.

But what makes the biggest distinction? What gives them this joy for life and zest to go on, way after 100?

IKIGAI

It is what the Japanese call Ikigai: What makes you get out of bed in the morning, your deeper purpose or calling.

What brings meaning to your life or feels like a necessity for you to live for?

The people that know their Ikigai have found their unique gift and passion in life and are happy to live it. Someone’s Ikigai can be motherhood, being a master in karate, or being a fisherman.

Your Ikigai is totally unique to you.

It is what brings you your deepest joy. It fulfills your need to sustain yourself. It brings out your talents and gifts and adds something to the world that you feel is deeply needed.

Where these four merge, there is IKIGAI.

Where IKIGAI is being lived, there is a natural tendency to experience moments of ‘Flow’ or wholeness more often, and a deeper feeling of fulfillment in life. It has been called ‘the process of allowing the self’s possibilities to blossom.’

And one writer, Kobayashi Tsukasa, summarizes it as:

“People can feel real Ikigai only when, on the basis of personal maturity, the satisfaction of various desires, love and happiness, encounters with others, and a sense of the value of life, they proceed toward self-realization.”

No matter how lucky enough you are, whether or not you live a life that has evolved in such a way that you have time to ponder these questions, it can be interesting, or even necessary, to dive in and find your Ikigai.

Ikigai may seem a luxury. But ‘the world needs that special gift that only you have’ (Marie Forleo) and so do you, if you like to make it in good vitality, beyond a hundred years of age.

So how to start?

Maybe you know instinctively what it is.

Whenever you have a spare moment, or a Saturday morning with nothing to do, you find yourself just doing this. Or reading books about a certain subject. Or browsing the internet, looking at pictures of it on Pinterest, or daydreaming about it.

So those can be your first hints.

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### You can dive in even deeper by answering the following 4 questions:

1. What are you good at?
2. What do you love to do?
3. What can you be paid for?
4. What does the world need?

In the graphic above you can see how these four questions and their answers beautifully intertwine and at the heart of the matter, you then find your Ikigai.

Take some time to take out a pen and piece of paper to actually write down your answers. When you process your thoughts on paper, insights grow stronger and will last longer compared to just shortly pondering the question and going on with something else.

If you really want to shift gears and become a centenarian…take out that journal and read on here…

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Together we create a lovely world and a celebrative community here at the 5 Elements Wisdom Academy. Feel welcomed to be part of our ‘Tribe’.

Please share your insights in the comments below or on social media. Tag us at @5elementswisdom using #ikigai and #5elementswisdom

We would love to celebrate your insights with you!

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### Do you want to take this journey to the next level?

**Free Facebook Live online Training: Discover your Ikigai**

Join us on September 24th – 17:00 hrs Europe time during a very special FREE Facebook Live training!

Make sure you follow us on Facebook @5elementswisdom and sign up below:

You will instantly have access to all the pre-training material. You will also receive a reminder before the Live as well as the link to the recording of the training afterward.

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### Sign up for our Free online Training on September 24th

**I want to discover my IKIGAI**

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Nienke Stoop passionately combines her knowledge of Western medicine with Eastern Healing traditions, insights from integral psychology and shamanism. Her work centers around Fertility, Pregnancy care and the Birthing of new life on earth. Besides assisting you in finding your Soul’s Purpose.

Nienke is one of the Co-founders and creators of the 5 Elements Wisdom Academy. Read more…

Would you like to join the Ikigai and Power of the Heart Retreat? Read on here…