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Overcoming Laziness and Finding Ikigai

December 25th, 2023 (10 months ago) • 2 minutes

I came across few words on the internet that Japanese people often stem their life on. These are some new words worth keeping in the back of your mind.

  1. Kaizen. Make small improvements. Encourage small, achieveable goals and small gains. Aim to become 1% better every day rather than perfection.

  2. Ikigai. You reason for being alive. Have a purpose for your life. What's the reason that you wake up in the morning?

  3. Wabi Sabi. Beauty in imperfection. Accept the natural state of things and imperfection and that's okay. Japanese has a very special activity for this called Kintsugi, where they repair broken pottery with gold. The idea is that the pottery is more beautiful after it's been broken and repaired.

  4. Shosan. Have a beginner mindset. Be open to learning anything to fulfil your mind.

"If your mind is empty...it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." - Shunryn Suzuki

  1. Ganbaru. Doing your best. No matter the circumstances, do your best. It's not about the outcome, it's about the effort.

  2. Shirin-Yoku. Forest bathing. Spending time in nature is good for your mind, soul and body.

  3. Hara Hachi Bu. Eat until you're 80% full. Don't overeat. More than that, you are most likely to be lazy and sleepy.