Finding My Ikigai: A 60-Year Journey I Never Saw Coming

Broken pieces, golden strength

A few weeks ago, on October 18th, I celebrated my 60th birthday. For many, this is a significant milestone. For me, it was something I was told I would never see.

When I had my accident at 21, my life changed in an instant. The doctors painted a picture of a limited future, one where simply surviving would be the goal. They saw the broken parts, but they couldn't see the spirit that was about to be created. I never imagined I would be here, six decades into this life, surrounded by my wonderful family and friends who made me feel so special on my birthday.

That celebration got me thinking. How did I get here? Not just physically, but here in this state of mind, grateful, fulfilled, and still so passionate about life.

The answer, I’ve realised, has a name: Ikigai.

A Japanese friend introduced me to this concept in my early 40s. She described it as the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. But it’s more than that; it’s your 'reason for being', the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning with a sense of purpose.

When I heard this, I had a stunning realisation. I hadn't just learned about a new philosophy; I was being given the name for the one I had been unconsciously living since my accident.

My life after 21 was a forced reset. I had to learn everything anew. In that struggle, I was stripped of superficial goals and had to ask the most fundamental questions: What truly brings me joy? What can I still contribute? What makes this life worth living?

Without knowing the word for it, I started to build my Ikigai. I found things I was passionate about, developed new skills, and discovered a deep need to share my journey and insights, to connect with others facing their own challenges. This blog, my work, my interactions, they all became part of this purpose.

It turns out, this search for a meaningful life is a universal human quest. In my research, I found beautiful echoes of Ikigai in other cultures:

• The ancient Greek idea of Eudaimonia, which means 'human flourishing.’ It’s not just about happiness, but about living a life of virtue and realising your potential, very much like the deep fulfilment at the core of Ikigai.

  
  

• The Indian concept of Dharma is often translated as your righteous duty or purpose. It’s the idea that we all have a unique role to play in the larger meaning of life, which aligns perfectly with the ‘what the world needs’ part of my own journey.

  
  

• The French phrase Raison d’être, which literally means "reason for being." This is perhaps the most direct Western cousin of Ikigai, pointing to that central purpose that defines us.

  
  

Seeing these parallels was comforting. It confirmed that what I had stumbled upon wasn't just a Japanese concept, but a fundamental truth about human existence. We are wired for purpose.

So, as I look back on my 60 years, I see that the accident didn't take my purpose away. In a strange, difficult way, it led me directly to it. It forced me to find my Ikigai long before I knew the word or its meaning.

My message to you is this: Your purpose isn't always something you find in a blinding flash of light. Sometimes, it’s something you build brick by brick through your challenges, your passions, and your service to others. It’s in the small joys, the connections you nurture, and the resilience you discover in yourself.

You don't need a near-death experience to start. You just need to ask yourself the questions I was forced to ask: What do you love? What are you good at? What does your small corner of the world need from you?

Your Ikigai is waiting to be discovered, or perhaps, like mine, it’s already there, living quietly within you, just waiting for you to recognise its name.

Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Warmly,

Ajmal

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