Finding Your Purpose: EFT & Ikigai
“What do you want to do with your life?”
This seemingly simple question can trigger existential anxiety for many of us. The sheer magnitude of such a question can quickly propel us towards a fear of making the wrong choices, ultimately leaving us paralyzed and unable to move forward. To help navigate these overwhelming thoughts and find clarity, let’s look at Ikigai, the Japanese concept that simplifies and breaks down this question into four essential elements: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
“Ikigai (生き甲斐, pronounced [ikiɡai]) means 'a reason for being.' The word 'ikigai' is usually used to indicate the source of value in one's life or the things that make one's life worthwhile.”
Héctor Garcia / Marc Winn — the concept of ikigai
The Power of Ikigai
Finding your purpose with EFT & Ikigai provides a structured pathway to explore and align your passions with a sense of purpose >
You Love It: This sphere includes what we do or experience that brings us the most joy in life and makes us feel most alive and fulfilled. What we love in this sense might be sailing, writing poetry, rock climbing, singing in a rock band, reading historical novels, spending leisure time with friends, etc. What is important is that we allow ourselves to think deeply about what we love, without any concern for whether we are good at it, whether the world needs it, or if we can get paid for doing it.
You Are Great at It: This sphere includes anything you are particularly good at, such as skills you’ve learned, hobbies you’ve pursued, talents you’ve shown since an early age, etc. What you are good at might be, for example, playing the piano, being empathic, public speaking, sports, brain surgery, or painting portraits. This sphere encompasses talents or capabilities, whether or not you are passionate about them, whether the world needs them, or if you can get paid for them.
The World Needs It: The “world” here might be humanity as a whole, a small community you are in touch with or anything in between. What the world needs might be based on your impressions or needs expressed by others. The world’s needs might include skilled nursing, clean water, home heating, election day volunteers, or improved police training. This domain of ikigai connects most explicitly with other people and doing good for them, beyond one’s own needs.
You Are Paid for It: This dimension of the diagram also refers to the world or society at large, in that it involves what someone else is willing to pay you for or “what the market will bear.” You might be passionate about writing poetry or very good at rock climbing, but this does not necessarily mean you can get paid for it. Whether you can get paid for your passions or talents depends on factors such as the state of the economy, whether your passions/talents are in demand, etc. This approach makes the vast possibilities of life more approachable. Yet, even with this framework, you might still encounter emotional blocks that stop you dead in your tracks. This is where Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) come into play.
Attr: Positive Psychology, 2020
Unlocking Potential with EFT
EFT (tapping) involves tapping on acupressure points while verbalising feelings and concerns. I’ve seen first-hand how this technique can remove emotional blocks, limiting beliefs, low self-worth, doubt, and many other crippling fears, enabling a person to feel more positive, confident, and open to possibilities than ever before. Here's how >
Clearing Emotional Blocks: Unresolved emotions can cloud your judgment and hinder the recognition of your true passions. By focusing on a goal, no matter how lofty it may initially feel to say out loud, we can pinpoint the voices getting in the way—the annoying, niggling voices saying, ‘You can’t do that,’ ‘That’s not for you,’ or ‘Who do you think you are?’ EFT helps release these unwanted and unhelpful thoughts, creating mental space to explore your interests and desires more freely.
Reducing Limiting Beliefs: Many of us carry around limiting beliefs about our capabilities, often ingrained during our formative years. EFT assists in breaking free from these self-imposed limitations, allowing you to see your potential with greater clarity.
Enhancing Self-Awareness: The tapping process enhances your awareness of emotions, desires, and strengths. This heightened self-awareness is crucial in identifying what brings you joy and fulfilment.
Aligning with Values: Understanding and aligning with your values is essential in uncovering your Ikigai. EFT can realign your focus with what truly matters to you, ensuring you’re truly focused on what you love, not just what you’ve been conditioned to believe you are capable of.
A Holistic Approach to Self-Discovery
Finding your purpose with EFT & Ikigai creates a powerful synergy, guiding you toward a balanced and harmonious life journey. By addressing the emotional blocks and limiting beliefs that may be getting in your way, you can confidently navigate your chosen path.
Embrace the Journey
Finding your purpose is not about making perfect choices but about embarking on a journey of self-discovery. By integrating Ikigai and EFT, you can turn anxiety into anticipation and fear into curiosity so that you can be open to more possibilities in your life.
End note from Friedrich Nietzsche
“Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life.”
If you’d like to learn more -
Watch Tim Tamashiro’s TedX talk - How to Ikigai
Read more on Ikigai, these are two great books –