How I Found My Ikigai in the Most Unexpected Places 🌸

What Is Ikigai?

Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept that translates to “reason for being.” It is where four elements meet:

• What you love ❤️

• What you are good at ⭐

• What the world needs 🌍

• What you can be paid for 💰

The word has roots in Okinawa, Japan, a place where people often live long and fulfilling lives. Researchers discovered that one of the secrets to their happiness and longevity was ikigai, the meaning and joy found in everyday life. Sometimes it is expressed through work or craft, sometimes through family, community, or small daily rituals.

Ikigai does not have to be one big mission. It often shows up in small moments that make life feel worthwhile. And it changes as we do.

The Networking Event

At a recent networking event, someone asked me, “Do you know what Ikigai is?”

I was familiar with it, but I invited him to explain it in his own words. I love hearing how others see things, because their perspective can bring out a meaning I might have missed.

That simple exchange reminded me that even when we already know something, there is value in pausing, listening, and seeing it through another lens. It felt like a moment of synchronicity, as if that question showed up at just the right time to wake up a part of me I had not thought about in a while. I do have passions. I do have things I love doing. And I want to keep building on them as part of my own ikigai.

A Milestone Weekend 🌸

Not long after that event, I reached a milestone in my personal growth journey. I had been working toward completing my first 5K race, and the day finally arrived. I was nervous, uncertain of how it would feel to step into something I had prepared for.

Then something unexpected happened even before the race began. I met someone new, and right away we connected. There was an ease to the conversation, the kind of ease that feels rare, where you just know you have stumbled into the beginning of a meaningful friendship. Looking back, it felt like synchronicity, as if life placed us on the same path at just the right moment.

Crossing the finish line was powerful, but what made the day unforgettable was everything that followed. After the race, we explored the small town together. At first, the plan was simple. We had gone for its unique little bookstore. But the day unfolded in ways we could not have planned.

We discovered live music floating through the streets, came across a surprise car show, wandered through thrift shops, and even met a group of people dressed as Ghostbusters, full of energy and fun. Somewhere in between it all, I picked up a new dress from one of the vintage shops and a new book from the bookstore. Small treasures, but ones that now carry the memory of that day with me.

By the end of it all, I realized this weekend was about much more than finishing a 5K. It was about saying yes to new experiences, being open to connection, and allowing myself to enjoy the unexpected. It was also about recognizing synchronicity when it happens, the way life sometimes lines up people, places, and experiences as gentle reminders that we are on the right path.

Connecting the Threads

Both the networking conversation and the small-town adventure reminded me that ikigai is not only about careers or passion projects. It is also about being open to experiences that reconnect us with joy and meaning.

For me, ikigai shows up in many places:

• In the courage to step into new rooms and conversations

• In the discipline to push myself through challenges like my first race

• In the openness to new connections and shared discoveries

• In the synchronicities that remind me purpose is not always planned but often revealed in the moment

An Invitation

Ikigai is not something you find once and then keep forever. It is something you rediscover again and again through conversations, connections, and the synchronicities of everyday life.

So I will leave you with the same question I was asked:

👉 Do you know what your ikigai is?

Whether your answer is yes, no, or maybe, trust that the journey of exploring it is just as meaningful as the answer itself.

✨ For me, ikigai is alive. It shows up in my work, my creativity, my family, and in moments like crossing a finish line or exploring a bookstore with a new friend. It is the thread that ties passion, purpose, presence, and synchronicity together and reminds me that life is not only about where I am going but also about how I choose to show up along the way.