iki and kai make up the Japanese word ikigai, which can be translated into ‘reason for being, life’s purpose’.

So basically, the thing(s) in life, which make you wake up in the morning looking forward to your day. The activities, people, dreams and passions, which make you feel alive and consequently give you a sense of purpose. IKIGAI doesn’t have to be something extravagant or exotic; we can find it even in the simplest things - anything that gives us joy. Knowing your IKIGAI and living by it gives us a constant flow of inner satisfaction. Life becomes less complicated, and we can simply focus on accepting and being grateful for the things that we have, since we do what fulfils us.

The way we live nowadays can make it difficult to know the truthful answers to what our IKIGAI is. Our society is fast-paced with a constant flow of information, which can often times lead to a sensory overload and a disconnection with our Self. In order to truly know, how to lead a satisfying life and what values we have, we need to step back, catch a breath and release all tensions from daily life.