The Desperate Need for an Update
So many people come to me feeling like they’ve failed. They sit across from me, often in tears or feeling completely numb, because they’re depressed. They tell me, "Christal, I think I found my Ikigai, but I can't make money with it. Does that mean I’m doing it wrong?"
My heart breaks every time I hear this.
The reason they feel this way is because of that famous 4-circle Venn diagram you see all over the internet. You know the one that says your ikigai is the "sweet spot" where what you love, what you're good at, the world's needs, and what you can be paid for all meet.
I’m here to tell you: That diagram isn't the real Ikigai. In fact, for many, those "money" and 'world' sections are exactly what is blocking their joy.
The Research Behind the Heart
I don’t just say this as a coach; I say this as a researcher. For years, I have worked alongside Dr. Makoto Suzuki right here in Okinawa at the Okinawa Longevity Research Center. Dr. Suzuki is a world-renowned longevity expert, and he has spent his life proving that ikigai is the absolute key to Okinawan longevity. But when we talk to the Okinawan elders, some of the longest-living people on Earth, they don't talk about profit margins or business plans. They talk about heart, connection, and presence.
To find the truth, I’ve spent years digging into the heavy lifting of Ikigai research. I’ve lived in the books of Mieko Kamiya (the "Mother of Ikigai"), studied the social "Nakama" theories of Toshiki Shimazaki, and explored the "5 Pillars" of Ken Mogi.
A New Map for Your Soul
What I discovered is that there is no single, "dictionary" definition of Ikigai. It’s too deep and too personal for that. However, when you look at all the research and all the lived experiences of the elders, there are overlapping areas that appear every single time.
That is how I developed the True Ikigai Venn Diagram. It’s a model that is truer to the heart and much closer to the real Japanese essence of "Joy from Fulfillment."
Instead of chasing a paycheck, we look at these four pillars:
- What You Love: The activities that make you lose track of time. It’s the spark that makes you feel alive, regardless of whether it’s "productive."
- Your Strengths: Your natural superpowers and the skills you’ve mastered. This is where your ease meets your excellence.
- Your Values: Your internal GPS. These are your non-negotiables. The principles that let you sleep peacefully at night, knowing you are in alignment.
- For Who: Your "Who" is your circle of impact. It’s the specific people you are called to serve, protect, or inspire. This is the "moving forward together" that Shimazaki talked about.
Stop letting a "money" circle define your worth. You are not a business plan; you are a human being with a reason for being here.
No Okinawan who lived to 100 years old said they tried to change the world. They make big changes in small places just by laughing and enjoying the company of their friends, families, and neighbors.
When you align what you love with what you’re good at, filtered through your core values to serve the people who need you most, that is when you find your candle, aka Big ikigai.
This candle is what will bring you light amid the darkness we call life. It shows you what you are walking towards and why you are walking there.
Your Ikigai isn't something you "achieve" one day when you're rich. It is the quiet, radiant joy that is already sleeping inside of you, waiting for you to wake it up. So I say, let’s stop searching for a career and start finding your reason to live.