Often we feel bored, unmotivated, and lazy in carrying out daily activities. Although this condition is expected as a human being, it is disturbing our daily lives.
Dr. Hary Elias, The Academic Director of Temasek Independent School, explained the Ikigai concept for meaningful and purposeful living to the SBM ITB students in performance art class as a guest lecture, Tuesday (7/9/2021). Quoting the Oxford dictionary, Ikigai is a motivating force or something that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living. In Japanese, “Iki” means life, and “Gai” means worth.
Everyone has their Ikigai, and everyone’s Ikigai is different from each other. “Finding Ikigai is very important; with Ikigai, life will be meaningful and blissful,” said Hary.
Japanese people have practiced the concept of Ikigai for a long time to find happiness in life and have a high life expectancy. So that, if we can’t find our Ikigai, our life will not be exciting and meaningless. “You should find out your Ikigai,” Hary highlighted to the student of SBM ITB.
Furthermore, Hary said that, in Ikigai, there are four main diagrams. The diagram consists of questions about things you love, the world needs, things you can get paid for, and your skills. The slice of the four diagrams will be your Ikigai.
“You have to find what you love, what the world needs, what are your skills, and what are the things you can get paid for,” said Harry.
Furthermore, Hary emphasized that Ikigai is not one entity but consists of a few entities. In his guest lecture class, Hary also urged students to find out their Ikigai. Hary pushed students to find a combination of things that make them happy and wealthy, find out the activities that impact society, and do things they love.
