Finding Your Ikigai

I recently came across the word ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that points to the thing that gives your life meaning, purpose, and a reason to get up in the morning. It is often described as the place where four things meet:

1. What you love

2. What you are good at

3. What the world needs

4. What you are able to be paid for

That idea stopped me in my tracks.

Now that I am in my 50s, I feel so much gratitude for the work I get to do. I teach. I coach. I encourage. I listen to people’s stories. I help students and clients see themselves differently. I help people challenge old mindsets, take small steps, and find more joy in their daily lives.

How lucky am I?

I have found work that lights me up. Work that uses my gifts. Work that serves others. Work that gives me purpose.

For me, teaching at Lone Star College has been one of those places where my heart, my skills, and my purpose meet. I love helping students realize they are capable of more than they thought. I love watching confidence grow. I love seeing someone shift from “I can’t” to “I’m learning.” That kind of work feels meaningful to me.

That is part of my ikigai.

But finding your purpose does not always happen all at once. It often begins with paying attention.

• What gives you energy?

• What do people come to you for?

• What do you love learning about?

• What problems do you care about solving?

• What kind of work makes time pass quickly?

• What dreams keep tapping you on the shoulder?

Sometimes your purpose has been showing up in your life all along. It might be tucked inside the way you care for people, the topics you keep reading about, the conversations that light you up, or the gifts others keep noticing in you.

You do not have to have it all figured out today.

Start with curiosity.

1. Make a list of what you love.

2. Make a list of what you are good at.

3. Make a list of what matters deeply to you.

Then look for overlap.

Where do those lists connect?

Where is there a tiny thread worth following?

Set the intention. Ask good questions. Talk about your dream with people you trust. Research. Learn. Take one small step. Then another.

Purpose is not always found by waiting for clarity. Sometimes clarity comes while you are already moving.

If you feel stuck, that does not mean you are lost. It might mean you are ready to listen more closely to what is next.

Your life still has room for a new purpose.

Your gifts still matter.

Your dreams are still worth paying attention to.

And your joy might be closer than you think.

If you are in a season of wondering what comes next, I would love to help you sort through your thoughts, name what matters, and take a brave next step.

You Got Joy.

Let me help you find it.