3.10 – Ikigai and resilience in the face of life’s challenges

Ikigai and resilience are intimately connected, as they give us the strength and clarity necessary to weather life’s storms with courage, wisdom, and serenity. Finding one’s Ikigai is discovering one’s purpose, what truly drives us and gives meaning to our existence, both in good and bad times. It is cultivating an inner compass that guides us towards what is really important to us, even when everything around us seems to be falling apart.

Resilience is the capacity to bounce back in the face of adversity, adapt to changes and grow through trials. It is a crucial quality for navigating in an uncertain and constantly changing world, where personal, relational, and collective challenges are inevitable. Whether it’s grief, sickness, job loss, romantic breakup, or a global crisis, life confronts us sooner or later with difficult situations that shake up our bearings and push us to our limits.

Cultivating one’s Ikigai is equipping ourselves with a powerful factor of resilience, as it gives us a reason to get up in the morning, even when everything seems dark and hopeless. It is knowing why we fight, for whom and what we are willing to overcome obstacles and tap into our deepest resources. It is having a course, a vision, and values that carry and inspire us, even in the darkest moments.

For example, let’s consider the case of Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist and survivor of Nazi concentration camps. In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he recounts how his quest for meaning enabled him to survive the horror of the camps and find the strength to continue living and helping others. His Ikigai was to bear witness to his experience to inspire future generations and help them find their own reason to live, even in the most extreme situations. Thanks to this transcendent vision, he was able to transform his trauma into a humanistic work that changed the lives of millions of people.

Ikigai acts as a protective factor against stress, anxiety, and despair, giving us a sense of control, coherence, and perspective during difficult times. When we know why we get up in the morning and have a deep conviction that we’re serving something bigger than ourselves, we are better able to put problems into perspective, find creative solutions, and maintain hope for the future. We are also more likely to take care of ourselves, surround ourselves with supportive people, and seek help when we need it.

Resilience aligned with our Ikigai enables us not only to survive hardships, but also to learn valuable lessons and grow through them. Each challenge becomes an opportunity for learning, personal development, and contribution to the common good. We learn to know ourselves better, to overcome fears and limitations, to cultivate gratitude and compassion. We also discover new facets of our Ikigai, new ways of embodying it, and sharing it with the world.

Cultivating one’s resilient Ikigai requires courage, humility, and perseverance. It is accepting our vulnerability, doubts, and flaws, while believing in our inner strength and ability to bounce back. It is also knowing how to rely on others, to ask for and offer support, to weave bonds of solidarity and mutual aid. It is finally about keeping the flame of our Ikigai alive, even when it flickers, by nourishing our reason for being with meaningful, concrete actions every day.

Finding one’s Ikigai in resilience is therefore making one’s life a journey of learning and wisdom, punctuated by trials and victories, doubts, and revelations. It is becoming the alchemist of one’s existence, able to transform the lead of suffering into the gold of consciousness. It is embracing our fragility and strength, our shadow, and our light, to constantly be reborn to ourselves and the world. By cultivating our resilient Ikigai, we become rooted and free beings, capable of dancing with life’s storms and emerging from them stronger and inspired.

Key points to remember:

– Ikigai and resilience are closely connected, as they give us the strength and clarity necessary to traverse life’s trials with courage and serenity.

– Finding one’s Ikigai is to discover one’s purpose, which gives meaning to our existence and guides us even during challenging times.

– Resilience is the capability to bounce back in the face of adversity and grow through life’s inevitable challenges.

– Cultivating one’s Ikigai strengthens our resilience by providing us with a reason to fight and draw from our deep resources.

– Ikigai acts as a protective factor against stress and despair by providing us with a sense of control, coherence, and perspective.

– Resilience aligned with our Ikigai turns trials into opportunities for learning, personal development, and contribution to the common good.

– Cultivating resilient Ikigai requires courage, humility, perseverance, and the support of others.

– Finding one’s Ikigai within resilience is to make one’s life a path of wisdom, embracing our fragility and strength to continually be reborn to ourselves and the world.