People often ask about the connection of Ikigai to following our passions.
Someone can express passion or interests in many ways. The better and more reliable path to success and happiness is a different 'P' word, purpose.
Ikigai is your purpose and your essence, the real you, in harmony with whatever you do.
I separate the deeper purpose you have as a human and the expression of it as your job, career, or even hobby because it's just that, an expression.
Purpose is who and what we are here for; a profession is one way we live out that purpose.
Professions, unfortunately, and sometimes even passions come and go. Our purpose and who we are in it never go away.
When you focus first on your purpose, it ultimately reveals something you can be passionate about.
Passion for what you do is a trailing event; it often comes after not initially. It's a matter of chronology and aligns with first understanding your values and exploring and experimenting with the best ways to manifest those.
Absolutely agree with you on this, David. What we do professionally does not matter as much as what makes us do what we do. Or rather what motivates us to do. It took me many years to figure that out, but I get it now😌 Worth the journey. Thank you for writing this, David🙏 God bless you🙏