What is worth living for? What gives me joy, what is my goal in life? Loosely translated, Ikigai means exactly this: "iki" means "life" and "gai" stands for "value". Japanese philosophy encourages us to look at questions that lead to our individual purpose in life. And thus to the fulfillment that grows from meaningfulness.

Finding your personal ikigai requires patience; an attentive and sincere dialog with yourself leads to the right answers.

The four areas of Ikigai are:

1. What do I love, what do I like to do?
2. What does the world need from me?
3. What do I do to earn money?
4. What am I good at, what am I talented at?

These four questions are arranged in a ring. The personal ikigai is located where the four circles intersect. At the intersections, the four areas each form a superordinate basic need:

1. "What do I love, what do I like to do?" + "What does the world need from me?" = the personal mission
2. "What does the world need from me?" + "What am I good at, what am I talented at?" = the vocation
3. "What do I do to earn money?" + "What am I good at, what am I talented at?" = the ideal profession
4. "What am I good at, what am I talented at?" + "What do I love, what do I enjoy doing?" = the great passion

Write down, circle by circle, all the answers that seem appropriate and correct for the individual areas. Then check them with the following questions:

What do I love, what do I like to do?

• Does it excite me?
• Can I do it for a long time without getting tired?
• Did I already enjoy doing it as a child?
• Do I like talking about it?
• Can I imagine doing it all day long?

What does the world need from me?

• Does it fill me with meaning?
• Does it correspond to my values?
• Should it be remembered when I am no longer there?
• Would I miss it if I couldn't do it for a while? Where or who would miss it specifically?

How do I earn money?

• Is it my job?
• Do I get my income from it?
• Do I have any other income?

What am I good at, what am I talented at?

• Is it my talent?
• Am I exceptionally good at it?
• Have I been trained in it?
• Have others already said I'm good at it?
• Do I have other, even unusual, skills?

Take your time for this process and make sure you feel comfortable. Without haste, pressure or interruptions. Leave your notes for a while and return to your questions a few days or weeks later. You also don't have to have a particular talent for what you like. Regardless of your personal Ikigai, this philosophy has other valuable life lessons to offer. For example: "Always stay curious."

Far Eastern things for well-being

In Japan, nutrition also has a special significance. We also make use of some of the properties of popular ingredients there, such as konjac root, in our BIO Konjac. The glucomannan it contains contributes to weight loss as part of a low-calorie diet. Or are you familiar with perilla? Known in Japan as shiso, this slightly minty-tasting plant flavors sushi and tempura. The alpha-linolenic acid it contains helps to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. More about our Omega 3 - Perilla oil capsules in the store.