FROM the earliest days of our lives, we begin making choices. Many are small at first, then increasingly significant.
Beneath every decision lies a deeper question: Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is the reason I rise each morning and continue forward even when the path feels uncertain?
The Japanese concept of Ikigai offers language to this longing. Ikigai speaks of one’s “reason for being,” the quiet but steady conviction that life has meaning.
While cultural in origin, its essence resonates universally. It reflects a truth embedded within human nature: we were not created to drift aimlessly, but to live intentionally, at the intersection of passion, service, competence and provision.
Ikigai rests upon four essential components.
First, your reason for being must be something you love. This is the activity that draws you fully into the present moment. It quiets distraction and awakens what psychologists call a “flow state.” In that space, time seems suspended. Your heart is engaged. Your spirit feels aligned. Worship itself often mirrors this experience, a complete absorption in something greater than oneself.
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Second, it must be something the world needs. Purpose is never isolated. There is always a gap to fill, a problem to solve, a wound to bind, a voice to lift. We are not merely individuals pursuing private satisfaction; we are participants in a broader human story. When love meets service, calling begins to take shape.
Third, it must be something you can be paid for. Purpose does not negate practicality. Provision matters. Sustainability matters. Being compensated adequately is not greed, it is stewardship. Financial stability enables continuity, growth and contribution. It allows passion to endure rather than burn out.
Fourth, it must be something you are good at. Talent may begin as inclination, but mastery is built through disciplined repetition. As Les Brown wisely stated: “Practice brings improvement.” It is through improvement that skill emerges, and through skill that distinction forms. Even innate talent requires cultivation. Excellence is rarely accidental.
Ikigai exists at the intersection of these four realities: love, need, compensation and competence. When what you cherish aligns with what the world requires, when your abilities meet opportunity, and when sustainability supports service there you discover stability of purpose. This is how we can begin to live deliberately rather than reactively.
But finding Ikigai is not merely a structural exercise; it should be a way of being. Its philosophy is supported by five pillars.
Start small
Purpose is rarely discovered in grand gestures. It unfolds in consistent, modest beginnings. A small habit. A small act of courage. A small step towards improvement.
Growth compounds quietly
Release yourself from internal chains. Fear, comparison, perfectionism and doubt often confine potential more than external barriers do. Freedom is prerequisite to calling. One must consciously dismantle limiting narratives.
Pursue harmony and sustainability
Burnout is not a badge of honour. Purpose should integrate with life, not consume it destructively. Balance ensures longevity.
Find joy in little things
Gratitude anchors the soul. The capacity to recognise beauty in ordinary moments cultivates resilience. Purpose is not only found in milestones but in daily rhythms.
Be present in the now
The present moment is the only location where purpose can actually be lived. Dwelling in regret or anxiety fragments attention. Presence restores alignment.
Ultimately, Ikigai invites a profound integration: to define your passion, express your mission through your profession and honour your vocation through disciplined excellence. It is not about chasing trends or mimicking others’ paths. It is about discernment, cultivation and faithful execution.
To live with Ikigai is to worship through work. It means we recognise that our gifts, refined through practice and offered in service, carry meaning. It is to move forward not randomly, but intentionally.
Purpose is not stumbled upon accidentally. It is uncovered at the meeting point of love, skill, service, and provision and sustained by presence, gratitude and courage.
- Rutendo Kureya is a medical student at Saint Petersburg State Paediatric Medical University, Russia. She is passionate about issues concerning the state and welfare of fellow Zimbabweans. She can be reached at kureyaru@gmail.com. Mobile: +7 996 274 9866 Facebook: Rutendo Kureya. She writes here in her personal capacity.