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East vs. West

A little about me: I grew up in Asia, then moved to the West at the age of 16. I’ve been here 10+ years now, and here’s what I notice:

• Asian Parents: “Get a good paying job and use that money to pursue your passion”

• American Parents: “Follow your passion, so you never work a day in your life”

For the longest time, I was confused, unsure about what to do with my life. Do I chase the money, or do I do what I enjoy?

There’s nothing more I wish upon people than finding this thing.

Today, I want to talk about this thing called the Ikigai

It’s found when 4 of these elements collide:

• What you love

• What you are good at

• What the world needs

• What you can be paid for

Man I wish I was born Japanese, so I would know about this concept way sooner, and the language sounds pretty cool 😂 

Are you happy where you are?

If you’re happy where you are, that’s great. But for how long 😈

It’s not about finding a job or a hobby you enjoy. It’s about:

• Achieving a satisfying and meaningful life.

• Bringing balance and fulfillment to your life.

• Gaining clarity for your life’s direction

Before starting our journey of finding your Ikigai

There is an external force that I want you to be aware.

People sometimes are too focused on what others expect of them. They choose a career to please their parents, or stick with a hobby because their friends like it.

But Ikigai is personal. It’s hard to hear your inner voice when you’re always trying to meet others’ expectations.

Finding your Ikigai is like buying tech gear, you check to see if it has all the specs that you are looking for. Done and done.

The Japanese Secret to a Joyful Life 生き甲斐

1. What You love

   Identify your passions. What activities, subjects, or pursuits make you lose track of time?

2. What You are Good at

   Recognize your inherent talents and developed skills. What comes naturally to you?

3. What the World Needs

   Find the needs that you're excited to help fulfill. What problems do you want to solve?

4. What You can be Paid for

   Determine the skills or services you can offer that others value and would be willing to pay for.

Let me use myself as an example

• I love solving problem, tinkering on the computer, building things.

• I’m tech-savy, I’m good at getting to the bottom of things.

• The world needs websites, softwares.

• I can get paid to code.

  ➡️ I became a programmer

Cool, but what now?

I’m glad you ask. Here are some actionable steps you can do:

Take time for yourself: Spend some quiet time thinking about what you love and what you're good at.

Try new things: I can’t stress enough how important it is that you try new sh!t, and get out of your comfy zone (More on that here)

You might discover a passion or talent you didn't know you had. Trust me, you’ll open new doors.

Think about how you can help others: What does the world need that you can provide?

I used to work with a hilarious coworker. He is such a people person, and always have interesting stories to lighten up the mood of everyone in the office.

Would be super cool to see him creating content of him being himself. He can inspire a lot of people.

Consider what you can get paid for: This doesn't just mean a job. It could be anything that others value and are willing to pay for. If there is a demand, become the supplier.

Who would’ve thought you can make money with feet pics, or used socks 🤷‍♂️ 

And last but not least,

Be patient: Finding your Ikigai can take time. Don't rush it. Enjoy the journey.

I’m still looking for my Ikigai, that’s why I decided to start writing, and committed to write 1 newsletter a week.

According to the education system, I suck at writing. My word choices are not sophisticated, and I don’t beat around the bush enough.

I hated writing until recently, where I found out the real way to write, it’s nothing like school taught. (No one cares about your fancy word choices if they don’t understand). Anyway school sucks!

TL;DR

Required Specs:
1/ What you love
2/ What you are Good at
3/ What the World Needs
4/ What you can be Paid for

Action:
1/ Quiet time to think
2/ Try new things
3/ How can you help others
4/ Find/Create demand
5/ Be patient

You are all set!

Ikigai is a treasure hidden inside you, waiting to be discovered. And once you find it, it can light up your life, like when you take a bite out of that cheesecake.

🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

Thanks for finishing this article, you are quite a sport!

p.s: If you know anyone who struggle to navigate through life, tell them to check out my newsletter, I’d love to help as many people as I can

p.p.s: Or if you want to tell me I suck at writing and where I should improve, reply to this email.