What is your reason for being?

What is your reason for getting up in the morning?

Ikigai

“One’s reason for being, which in principle is the convergence of one’s personal passions, belIEfs, values and vocation: those who follow the concept of ikigai undertake the activities of their life with willingness and a satisfying sense of meaning.”

–Dictionary.com

I happened upon this concept a few months ago and I thought it was a pretty good thing to try to get us through quarantine. And even though New York State is scheduled to get 170,000 vaccines on December 15…we still have a lot of work to do to get to the homestretch…

So what is your thing?

What are your passions, your beliefs and your values?

How do you incorporate them into your day to day?

When I did my fifteen minutes of research this morning, I found that many people use venn diagrams to show their reason for living. As I don’t feel like going down the rabbit hole of pictures, charts and diagrams, I’ll give you a brief outline type of my view:

Education is key for me. I think that without education we suffer. I think we can’t have equality or any sense of order without education of all. Because of this, I have volunteered the majority of my life with something to do with education. Before I had a child I was a dedicated reading volunteer for elementary age children. During my daughter’s schooling I spent many years on School Leadership team for elementary, middle and high school. Looking over my charitable donations for this year, most of my available funds went towards education or helping children.

I have helped ignite this passion in my daughter. She has, and continues to work as a volunteer tutor. She has worked with two non profits that deal with education and children’s issues. She plans on getting a minor in education and justice, and has considered writing her thesis on how gentrification has effected education.

Reading is also on my list. I can’t pass a book drive and not buy a book. I read, I discuss, I recommend. If one thing gets me out of bed in the morning it’s reading. I can’t wait to have the time to open up my book. I had my eye doctor appointment yesterday and I didn’t mind waiting because it gave me a chance to read a little. I don’t think there is anything I am more passionate about than reading. I like reading more than anything else.

Parenting. Those who know me know the stock I place on parenting. While I know we all need an education, I feel that 95% of the problems we face today could be solved by better parenting. I think we undervalue parents and parenting, and I think we are now seeing the after effects. I fully admit that I took my role as a parent very seriously. I don’t apologize for it. Sorry, not sorry.

Culture. I get energized by movies, TV, art, crafts and anything else that shows beauty, ingenuity or makes you think. I think that the arts are extremely important to learning and growing and thinking. I need to have art in my life in one form or another: sometimes it soothes me, other times it makes me think, sometimes it helps me understand something I couldn’t grasp.

Sight/Smell/Touch/Taste/Sound I am a sensual person. This doesn’t mean I waltz around catlike and ooze sexuality (actually I’m quite the opposite) But I am motivated by things that utilize my senses. I only wear soft materials. I have a blanket and pillow on my couch that are soft and warm and I feel so good when I utilize them when reading. I have essential oils in diffuser pots on my desk and nightstand, and scented candles in kitchen and bath. I love having music, or sometimes even TV on in the background. I like the sounds of the cars driving by, and I love the sound of rain…Food. Seriously, the taste of a perfectly roasted vegetable? Tangy cheese on top of salty and peppery ground beef? Earl Grey with lemon and honey? Sign me up. And obviously- I love looking at things. I don’t like decorating, but I love to watch an HGTV show just to see what they come up with. Museums…well, you know how I feel about that. Clearly the guiding principle to most things in my life revolves around my sensuality.

The above are some of my passions, beliefs and values. They are some of the guiding lights in my life. These are my reasons to get up in the morning.

What are your reasons for getting up in the morning?

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63 thoughts on “Ikigai”

      1. I’m totally serious. I pronounce acai.. “ah-sigh” and my daughter keeps telling me it’s “ah-sigh-ee”..so how does one pronounce ikigai.. “ick-ig-i” or “ick-ig-i-ee?” 🤔(enquiring minds NEED to know!!)

        Liked by 1 person

  3. As I wake the dreams (revelations) of the morning appear. I remember these as I get up. I get up because I am no longer tired. Those dreams guide my day whatever they happened to be. I kneel and pray with thanksgiving for the opportunity to serve one more day.

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  5. I love watching the sunrise each morning (though I’m just seeing it shine on the hills across the valley, not the sun itself). The dog, coffee, reading. Learning, research, writing. Figuring out if I can help someone. Staying connected with friends and family.

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  10. I love your reasons and would agree with all of them. For me, the guiding light in my life is my faith. It’s what fuels every other aspect of my being and ignites my passions. The belief we are God’s handiwork and created to make a positive difference in this world. The rest is the result of this worldview. xoxo

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  11. I like these questions and thoughts, LA. I guess I’d say that my passions at this phase of my life (my work use to be fairly consuming, but rewardingly so) are lifelong learning and making sure I nurture personal connections. To be honest, blogging has helped channel some my raison d’être during this increasingly long period of semi-hibernation.

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  12. My reason for getting up is the fact that I have to get my kids off to school . My reason for being is obviously my need to wear my lime green thong.

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  13. My passion is writing, but I write in order to inspire people to think a little bit differently than they currently do (about whatever) and to show up being my whole self in all spaces. I’m an educator by trade and nature, so some of that comes automatically through in writing, too.

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  14. Working with vintage finds, everything from old ads to World’s Fair memorabilia to baseball cards and textiles. I never know what I may come across or where I might go with it but I love that.

    Also writing, of course. And cooking.

    I shut down my running, sadly, when I was experiencing runner’s knee. Since then I’ve been doing stationary bike with my exercise regimen and it’s working out well. I miss running as I’ve done it for thirty odd years now, but I also realize I’ve been fortunate in that I haven’t had any real issues thus far. So I think in 2021, I’m switching to cycling. Less impact.

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      1. Hard to whittle it down but top five? An old Manhattan Bridge sign (wooden). A Coca Cola Cavalier upright. A nearly pristine Nolan Ryan rookie card. A colonial style spinning wheel. And probably my favorite was an old library cabinet, two piece. Me and a friend found it with a “Free” sign. Took it back to her shop and gave it a complete restoration. I hated selling it but when I moved I just didn’t have the space.

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  15. I’d like to be glib and say coffee but honestly I try to open the prospects of each new day as if a gift. I’m well aware nothing stays the same, or goes the way I want, or happens the way I planned it, but I am really good at focusing on the good. I love kindness, finding it in unexpected places, and hopefully having the courage to acknowledge it when I see it. I watched this little kid run up to a homeless man and hand him a warm order of fries, not the best nutrition, but I could see she took them out of her own order. I wanted to hug her, but I feared her parents might think I had maligned intentions, so I settled for a simple “thank you, that was so kind.” Or when my granddaughter managed to get her little sister out of a tantrum by holding her and telling her she loved her. Oh my heart. I’m an educator so I highly value life-long learning, reading is of immeasurable worth, and parenting well is the corner stone of all thriving societies. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention writing, it’s like enjoying an extraordinary meal, twice. Love this post LA, C

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  19. Hmm there’s an interesting question…. what is my reason for getting up in the morning? To go to work 5 days a week and look after my mother who incredibly remains upbeat and positive when the country is spiraling into Chaos…… 😀 and while I’m here Homo-sapien primates have to stop breeding, the day that happens is the day planet earth begins to heel itself.

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      1. Had my very first flu jab this morning, by chance my GP was the clinician and he said “a covid vaccination is on the way”……….. first time I’ve heard that said from an expert I trust 🙂 .

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      4. I’m holding you to that….I’m thinking of using “this year will be our year” as my January 1 post. What do you think? And I think I’m closing out the year with the theme from friends. Thoughts?

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  21. What gets me up in the morning? The need to pee! And I’m surprised nobody else uses it.🤭

    Also coffee. But first I continue to indulge in observation of all the craziness that’s going on in the world, which I do while I’m in bed. That of course drives me to get up and eat (which is also something that gets me up sometimes, even in the very early morning but lots of other times, too). Then some more semi-detached observation of world events. Then email and facebook and then, finally, after exceeding my limit of all this crazy worldly stuff, reading.

    Thanks for asking.

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  22. As I have a lot of chronic pain that affects me, especially in the mornings, it can be difficult feeling motivated to get out of bed. But when I think about my many blessings, including my family, friends and so many other things I have that many sadly don’t, I feel an appreciation that motivates me to get up and push through the pain and discomfort. Also, hope in a better future, which I truly believe is coming, motivates me to get up each day. 🙂

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