I read the book “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” last year, quite a while AFTER watching some popular YouTube videos and attempting the Venn diagram method… imagine my surprise when the book revealed that Ikigai has basically nothing to do with any of the ideas put forward in the YT videos! 😂 The Venn diagram exercise left me feeling so anxious because I just couldn’t come up with any kind of answer. It was frustrating and so disappointing because I watched all these videos that totally seemed to make sense, and promised to help you clarify your life and career goals, but it absolutely didn’t work for me at all. The true meaning of Ikigai lies in finding purpose, meaning and enjoyment in daily life and everyday tasks, staying physically active, social connection and practising mindfulness. I recall a lot of repetition about diet such as eating until you are 80% full, taking joy in simple daily activities such as gardening and growing your own fruit and vegetables to eat; basically slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life. What I found odd about the entire concept of the book itself was that it focused on identifying communities of people who are the longest lived and trying to examine what these people were doing that was contributing to their longevity. Personally, I found the very concept of the book flawed from the outset because I don’t believe that there is a direct correlation between living a meaningful, mindful, joyful life and living the longest. Ikigai doesn’t focus on just one area of life but is about living considerately and mindfully in all areas - physical, social, emotional, and that all makes sense to me. And I suppose that is an aspect that could apply to multi-passionate people because it encourages balance and harmony in our life as a whole, rather than just focusing on a tiny sliver of our existence.

Hello! 👋🏻 I joined the Admori Society Because: I literally only heard the term “multi-passionate creatives” for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and wow, did I feel seen for the first time in my life! Now, I’m trying to figure out how to make my “multitude” work for me… My Business is about: I am a former YouTuber and blogger, a keen photographer and an aspiring artist. I hope to be able to bring all these skills (and more) together to create a new business over the next few months. My most recent learning about myself is: Well, thanks to the quiz posted today, I have discovered that I may be ADHD, which is something my husband has insisted is the case for the past twenty years… 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Adriana-Morena R. Thank you! I’m excited to be here ❤️