Where do you turn when you’re questioning whether you’re on the right path or not? For one med student—Osmosis Medical Education Fellow Anam Sayed—the Japanese concept, ikigai, helped her find her way. If you find yourself in a similar situation, read on to see if ikigai can be as powerful a force for you as it was for Anam.
“Everyone has an ikigai – a reason for living.” – A Japanese proverb
Ikigai (pronounced “ee-key-guy”) is a Japanese concept practiced among centenarians peacefully living out their lives on the island of Okinawa. Is their long life a result of a healthful diet, green tea, and a simple life? Or are we supposed to credit it to shikuwasa—a lime-like fruit that brims with antioxidants—or the purity of water that flows through their streams?
In my opinion, something other than these natural forces is at work: an easy and free-flowing joy experienced by Okinawa’s inhabitants that guides them through each day with unbridled happiness.
The art of living
Our ikigai resides deep within each of us and is the reason we get up in the morning.
While some of us have found it, others are still looking. If you aren’t finding the sense of fulfillment from the path you have chosen for yourself, that is exactly the thing you may be missing.
Due to our busy schedules as med students, we often tend to de-prioritize our hobbies and interests while single-mindedly working towards our future goals.
The key to finding ikigai is to find the right balance between hobbies, interests, and your daily work life.
Arriving at your ikigai
I got into med school for mostly—not all—the wrong reasons. That played a huge role in the instability I would face later on. I found myself frustrated and felt something askew due to a reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I had begun to doubt whether medicine was the correct choice for me.
Was this what I wanted for myself?
A little while later while browsing Google (obviously) to find answers for this crisis I found myself in, I stumbled upon ikigai, the Japanese secret to a happy life.
Often at different points on our life’s journey, we find ourselves asking questions like
- Am I doing this right?
- What do I want to do with my life?
- What do I want to achieve?
- Is it happiness I am after? Wealth? Both?
These questions can be boiled down to Passion, Mission, Profession, and Vocation.
Ikigai is the spot where all the answers of these questions come together. Each circle represents a question for which you need to dive deep and answer with complete honesty. It requires personal maturity and insight regarding your needs, traits, limitations, and desires. This process is important in order to apply the ikigai model to yourself in the best way possible.
These answers will help you fulfill your expectations from your life and increase your self-worth as a human. You will rediscover meaning in your daily turmoil. Your questions won’t be answered completely—just enough to guide you along life’s path gently.
Wabi-sabi
Often, we blame ourselves in bad situations—low grades, making mistakes during a presentation, making an incorrect diagnosis, and many other things. Wabi-sabi teaches us to look at the imperfections and appreciate them as opportunities for growth. In the process of striving to be perfect, we should accept mistakes and imperfections as there are certain things we have no control over.
The key is resilience, the ability to persevere against setbacks without giving in to discouragement.
Maoi
Maoi are your group of friends—childhood or, in my case, med school friends—who have your back no matter what. They are always there to brighten your day, to support you when the going gets tough, to daydream with, and to be a steady source of happiness. It isn’t just the superficial things but also the deep respect and support for one another that makes maoi so important.
In conclusion, the meaning ikigai holds for all of us is different—but you need to discover it deep within yourself. It provides a meaningful connection between you and what you do in your everyday life.
There is no perfect strategy—nor should you worry too much about finding one. All you need to remember is to keep it simple, take it slow, and stay in touch with your desires, needs, and passions.
Live in the moment, and don’t forget to follow your ikigai.
About Anam
Anam Sayed is a third year med student at Indian Institute of Medical Science and Research in India and a current OMEF fellow. Born into a family of doctors, she grew up exploring hospitals, playing hide and seek with the hospital staff, and peeking into surgeries being performed. She plans to go into Emergency Medicine or a surgical field. Outside of medicine, she often hits the gym to burn off the calories from all the junk food and loves to go hiking on the weekends.
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