Eiver Stevens - Finding Your Ikigai: How to Seek Your Purpose in Life

What's in This Guide
Finding your ikigai (ick-ih-guy) can be defined as discovering your purpose and worth in life. Why are you on this planet, and how can you make a difference? How can you feel happy, with a sense of self-worth and purpose?
The Japanese concept of ikigai can help you answer all those questions, and more. By being willing to reflect on your life and take action, you can start to become happier and more fulfilled, by defining what happiness means to you as an individual.
Finding your ikigai is a holistic approach, incorporating mind, body and spirit. It encompasses jobs, family, hobbies, community. It's about finding meaning as well as balance. It's not about trying to "have it all," but to have the very best life has to offer for you personally as you travel on your journey through life.
If you're feeling stuck in a rut and longing for direction and purpose in your life, this guide can help you find your ikigai and progress towards becoming who you are meant to be. If you want to wake up every morning and bound out of bed, eager to start each day, it's time to take the 30-day challenge in this guide and see what a difference it can make to your life.

About the Author
Eiver Stevens is a self-help writer who has created more than 30 guides and courses designed to help people live better, with greater success.

Finding Your Ikigai
How to Seek Your Purpose in Life
Eiver Stevens
Eternal Spiral Books

COPYRIGHT 2017 by the author.
All rights reserved.
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Introduction
Many people in the world today are suffering a crisis of identity. The modern world is not at all conductive to a sense of purpose. Families live apart from each other. Marriage and relationships are not expected to last-the divorce rate is 50% in the US. Many people are opting out of having children because they are worried about the world as it is, or have other interests that drive them. That is fine, as long as no one feels they are missing out, or wakes up one morning with a feeling they have missed their true calling in life.
We work to put food in our mouths, rather than through joy. We labor out of a sense of duty rather than passion and the eagerness to help others. We buy and consume all manner of products in a desperate attempt to feel as though we're part of something. People use clothes, phones, and cars to symbolize status, or belonging to a particular social group.
We skip from hobby to hobby, always consuming, never going deeper with our skills, and rarely developing ourselves intellectually. TVs, DVDS and social media are an escape from our lives. We long for meaningful human connection, yet hide behind a computer screen. Many people have lost faith in religion, government, and our fellow man. Anything goes as we drift from one thing to the next, restlessly searching for some meaning to it all.
But it doesn't have to be this way. It IS possible to find real meaning in life and discover your purpose on the planet. You don't have to go with the herd. It is not just a problem with the whole of society. It is a problem with each of us as individuals if we prefer sitting in front of a TV or DVD or computer game every day and every night and accomplish little or nothing as a result. It is our fault if we squander our gifts and don't live up to our true purpose in life.
Some people take the bold step of thinking about their role in the world and whether not they are making a difference. Whether you are 8 or 80, it's never too early or late to explore this concept and come up with some answers that can help set you on the right path towards true happiness.
Let's get started with looking at happiness, and how your ikigai can help you manifest the life you desire.

Chapter 1-What is the meaning of true happiness?
True happiness and meaning is based on understanding who you are and what you want, and above all, understanding your true worth in terms of everything you have to offer the world. But first, you have to define it for yourself.
Happiness means very different things to different people
One person may feel their life is full of meaning when they have two children, whereas another may find that children distract them from their aspiration to be a bestselling author.
Others feel being a success in business is the most important thing, even though their spouse and children are begging for attention. "But I'm doing all this for THEM!" is the common confused response to discovering their marriage is on the rocks and they are in danger of losing their family.
This shows that happiness is all a question of perspective. For the children in this situation, they would rather have a parent who showed up at their school plays or took them bike riding than a whole house full of expensive toys and gadgets.
Within each source of meaning, there can be variables. For example, the person who feels fulfilled helping children does not always have to be a biological parent. They could be a foster parent, teacher, doctor/pediatrician, nurse, and so on.
The important thing is to feel passionate and fulfilled about what you do, but of course, that is not all of the equation. Wouldn't it be great to also get paid to do what you love, and be able to earn a comfortable living at it? Or even to prosper through it?
Again, wealth means different things to different people. An easy definition might be to earn enough so you don't have to panic every time a bill arrives and you can afford what you wish without running up credit card debt.
We are not just worker ants, of course. We have relationships, hobbies and community work when we are outside our workplace. We might be good at arts and crafts or a sport, such as a team sport, and have other people whom we share a great deal in common with. We are proud of our skills and don't want to let down our team.
We might be great at playing a musical instrument, and bring pleasure to others even if we would never be able to make enough money to do it professionally. There is the famous story of a young man called Arthur Wellesley, a younger son in a wealthy family who was not going to inherit any title or money. He knew he would have to be a "self-made" man in some way to support himself and a wife and family. He loved playing the violin more than anything and thought about making it his career.