Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash
The more I travel, the more time I spend outside what I have called my home country, the farthest I am from friends and family, and the more conversations I have with people from different backgrounds and cultures, the more I ask myself this question:
Am I chasing happiness or am I doing what makes me happy?
Merriam-Webster describes happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment: joy”. Chemically, it’s the production of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone. It gives you a sense of pleasure. It also gives you the motivation to do something when you’re feeling said pleasure.
A while ago I came across the Japanese word and concept of “ikigai”, and just this past week I was suddenly reading about it again. Here’s why this resonates with me so much, and why I’d encourage you to look into your life using this concept as well.
Ikigai refers to defining your personal meaning of life in relation to your talents, passions, and profession, as well as what you can give to the wider world. The word “iki” means “life” and “gai” or “kai” means “worth”. Using this concept, you can evaluate your life using the four key components:
Mission: Do what makes life worth living, for you.
Passion: Self-development is as rewarding as it is challenging. Never stop chasing new projects and adventures. Define what you love to do the most and keep doing it for the rest of your life.
Profession: Do what makes a real-life difference in your day-in and day-out, professionally. Find a sense of fulfillment at your job. Do not stay with a company or at a job just because it has great benefits. If you are miserable, that will not change with time, it will only get worse.
Talent: Explore what you are good at if you haven't figured out what you’re naturally good at. A change of career, why not?
To answer my own question of whether I am chasing happiness or doing what makes me happy, I would say that I am pretty happy. However, I need to learn more about which things are worth my time and effort and which ones are not.
For example, I really enjoy my job, despite feeling stressful at times like in everything else. But the job itself gives me so much more back than it takes from me. I have a rewarding feeling from what I do, ensuring people choose their next career move carefully and with expert guidance.
I have also discovered that I am not a city person anymore. I used to love being in a city and that hustle and bustle kept me going. I was born in the second most populated city in the world and never did nature “things”. I didn’t have the curiosity to find out if I could like something different. I’ve since discovered that being in nature brings me happiness.
I still have work to do with my Ikigai and the work will probably never stop. But I’m excited for the journey. Perhaps you should try it as well, see where you find yourself, and see where you may need to make improvements to align better with your life goals.
Written by: Sandy Rivera, Recruiting Coordinator at Hunter Crown, LLC
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