IKIGAI - Positive Psychology & Storytelling - Module 14

 

Video : https://youtu.be/t5ostmROJ3U (Links to an external site.)

Story 14 – The Artist - Folktale from Gujarat

Taken from the Collection of Folktales by AK Ramanujam

Story Based Reflection –

  1. Why do you think Saralatha’s took this mission or purpose?
  2. What is a passion of yours that doesn’t let you sleep?  
 ~~
 
Knowing IKIGAI:

IKIGAI is a Japanese word that can be translated as 

Iki – Life 

Gai – realisation of what one hopes or expects.

In other words, it is the Reason for Being.

Watch this Video: Click on link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ5Srezh190 (Links to an external site.)

 

 

 

The Japanese believe if we are fully engaged in activities we love or enjoy doing, then we lead a life of fulfillment. This concept closely aligns with the Greek idea of Eudaimonia or the idea of a well lived life.

Ikigai closely relates to the concept of “Flow” as named and explained by Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975. Flow occurs when you are engaged in an activity which engages you fully, an activity that you enjoy and may also benefit others.

Nowadays Ikigai for the western world has come to mean finding purpose and meaning for life which also benefits others in some way. Everyone has an Ikigai, we only have to introspect a bit more to find it. We may have answers to some of the questions, while for others we may need to reflect deeply.

Understanding the meaning of your life through exploring 4 questions:

What is your love? 

  • What do you love doing the most regardless of whether it can pay bills etc . 
What are you good at? 
  • What are your skills and talents, regardless of whether it will pay. 
What does the world need ?
  • How do you see yourself contributing to the society through your skills and gifts?
What can you be paid for? 
  • What does the society pay for – amongst your skills.

~

At the intersection of what you love and what you are good at is your Passion

At the intersection of what you love and the world needs is your Mission

At the intersection of what the world needs and what you can be paid for is your Vocation

At the intersection of what you can be paid for and what you love lies  your Profession.

 


 

In the middle lies your Ikigai!

This representation of Ikigai is said to be a westernised view and a more Zen Buddhist approach, does not look at Ikigai as vocation and profession. Ikigai by that Zen definition is more of staying present in the moment, enjoying all the small things of life along with a sense of doing and being.

Eg: I found my Ikigai in the merging of my two interests Psychology, and Storytelling. I find greatest fulfillment when engaged in these two activities and I contribute to society trough this, even earning through it.

~

Best Possible Self – Best Possible self is one of the best intervention strategies used in Positive Psychology.

Individuals have to write how they see themselves in future, when they have put in effort and achieved the goals that they have set out for themselves and when everything has gone well.

eg: Every year I write my yearly vision/ goals. I try to write the goals or vision as if I have already achieved.

 

Highlights of this Module:

1) Iki - life, Gai - what one hopes or expects ( reason for Being)

2) Closely related to concept of "Flow" in Positive Psychology

3) Find your Pssion, Mission, Vocation & Profession by answering 4 questions

4) Best Possible Self - as a way to vision the future of our self.

 

Topic Reflections Task :

1) Journal about your Best Possible self – either 6 months from now or even 10 years from now. Describe in detail who you imagine yourself to be in that future. All your strengths, values, etc            Be as real as possible. 

2) Have you found your Ikigai ?

Create a diagram or – similar to the above using circles and fill in the parts which say

What you love/you are good at/world needs/ can be paid for.

~~

Research :

Image : By en:User:Nimbosa derived from works in the PUBLIC DOMAIN by Dennis Bodor (SVG) and Emmy van Deurzen (JPG) - https://t.co/TiRhcMD7HP, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45001578

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

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