Hi Friend,
I came across a Japanese word years ago—ikigai. It’s often translated as “a reason for being,” but it’s not that heavy. More like a small, steady sense that your life has direction, even in the ordinary moments.
My first girlfriend was Japanese, Cynthia Izumi Fujimoto. I learned many things from her, and this was one of the first. One day she simply handed me a piece of paper with ikigai written on it. That was it.
I was 17 and deeply enthralled with eastern philosophy.
Years later, I came across Thich Nhat Hanh, who spoke about being fully present in simple acts—washing a cup, walking across a room. Something about that brought me right back to her.
And in a time when things feel divided and unsettled here in the United States and the world in general, there’s something grounding about this as a practice. It reminds me that even when the larger world feels unstable, there’s still a way to live with clarity and steadiness in daily life.
This simple practice of being present (Thich Nhat Hanh Video), along with Metta meditation, has been meaningful for many people over time, myself included.
Hope this is helpful,
Dennis
