Читать книгу How to Ikigai - Tim Tamashiro - Страница 8

Introduction

Dave Thorsell has the most wonderful Ikigai. He’s a pleaser of people.

Dave is a friend that anyone would feel lucky to have. He’s loyal and generous. He’s my best friend from high school. Over the years, he’s become my chosen brother. He’s family. There’s something about Dave that is immediately obvious. He wakes up every day to please people.

I met Dave within the first ten minutes during the first day of high school at Lacombe Composite High School in Lacombe, Alberta in Canada. Like most first days of high school, the morning reeked of excitement. I had a copy of my schedule in hand and went about trying to find my first class. It was 1981. There was no such thing as a school map. Each student had to use their deductive skills to find their way. My first class of the day was chemistry with Mr. Koole.

I took a wild guess that the class might be on the second floor. I located the hallway that led me upstairs. I bolted up the stairs, two by two, and then flung open the steel door at the top. Right there on the other side of the door, just a few steps down the hallway, I saw a long-haired blonde dude with his back to me. He wore a faded and worn blue jean jacket with a large Honda patch sewn across the back. I thought to myself, “Honda? What a loser.” Then the young fella turned around and our eyes met. I asked, “Do you know where Chemistry is?”

He said, “Nope, but I’m in that class too. Let’s find it. My name is Dave.”

It was Dave Thorsell. It was immediately obvious that he was loyal and generous. The first thing he offered me was a chance to make my day a little brighter. We’ve been friends ever since.

Dave’s himself when he pleases people. His Ikigai is to please people. It’s as easy for him to do as breathing.

As with Dave, your Ikigai is the reason you get out of bed every day. It is your purpose. Ikigai is an attribute that every person has. Sometimes it’s obvious, as it is with Dave. Other times, it’s not so obvious.

I am writing this book to help you understand what Ikigai is. More importantly, my intention is to help you figure out what your Ikigai is. To bring it to light, you must become an Ikigai researcher.

My motivation for this book is rooted in my own Ikigai, which is to delight. I hope to delight you because it’s the reason I get out of bed every morning.

Here’s another thing I’ve learned about Ikigai. I’ve learned that when I send delight out to the world, I get delight back in return. Whether I’m singing a song on a stage, hosting a podcast, or chatting with a clerk at the grocery store, my Ikigai is to delight. I have a clear understanding that each day is full of chances to make use of my Ikigai. Ikigai is easy to share, and it’s easy to feel the rewards of sharing it. Ikigai is a cycle of perpetual purpose.

I’d like to delight you in this book by sharing thoughts and ideas that I hope you find helpful on your journey toward discovering your purpose. My deepest desire is that, with my ramblings, you can realize the benefits of self-exploration. Within this book is a treasure map to help you find your Ikigai. All you have to do is follow the clues.

I won’t pretend to be a wise sage who has spent the past ten years sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop pondering meaning. Instead, I can tell you that I’m an ordinary dude who has experienced an unbelievable streak of cool stuff over a lifetime. The singular thread that ties all of my crazy experiences together is my Ikigai.

I did not always know my Ikigai. For a long time, I didn’t even know that Ikigai existed. But I’ve always had a strong suspicion that life has a purpose. Now that I know my purpose, my work is to realize my fullest potential and to offer it to the world.

My mission over the past fifty-two years has been to be a researcher of life’s meaning. It’s been a lot of work. I’ve been scouring for hints, paid attention, followed the clues. I’ve used my deductive skills to connect the dots, one by one. Sometimes they led to dead ends. OMG, this is driving me crazy! Then, when I least expected it, there was my Ikigai: to delight. A-ha! For years I worked at jobs that provided me with hints of Ikigai. I didn’t see that the jobs followed a pattern that connected the hints together. I played in bands, worked as marketing rep at a record company, and hosted TV and radio shows. Each job provided glimpses of Ikigai. When I finally connected the dots, my Ikigai became crystal clear. Each of these jobs that I believed identified me as a “successful” man were actually providing me with opportunities to be myself. I felt “successful” because I found ways to delight. I was attracted to these jobs because they gave me a part of my Ikigai every day.

In discovering my purpose, I also discovered that Ikigai is an action. With this practical north star, I now understand that I want to share my Ikigai as often as possible. I feel that writing this book is an unbelievable gift that offers me a chance to delight you.

I hope you view my thoughts and lessons as worthwhile. You are an Ikigai researcher. Follow the clues. I’m cheering for you. I hope your Ikigai is soon within your reach.