Who were you before?
Seeing again what’s always been there, fresh and new.
Photo by Garrett Sears on Unsplash
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
— “Lost” by David Wagoner
People often ask me to help them 'find' their Ikigai.
That's not how it works. As Emily McDowell said, "You aren't a ten-dollar bill in last winter's coat pocket."
You aren't lost where you need to be found. The real you, your true self, and essence are right here.
When we are young, our Ikigai is easy to see. Over time life happens.
Defeats, disappointments, burdens, cultural conditioning, and other people's opinions, even those of well-meaning family and friends pile on top of our true nature.
Eventually, life conceals our Ikigai where it stays hidden, waiting.
Understanding your Ikigai is returning to that true self. It is a process of revelation and uncovering.
We see again what's always been there, fresh and new.
At least initially, the Ikigai Journey is an effort to remember who you were before the world told you who you should be.
Great message and the last thought was a quote I like to use as well> Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be? -Charles Bukowski
If we have a clear Why (Purpose), Who (Essence) and What (Harmony) in our life we are told that is our Ikigai in the middle of all. Of course that is for self-fulfillment and for some like me that is only one beginning towards more....the ultimate union (relationship) with the Divine (IHS), our free-will coming as close as possible to Divine-Will.. This is more than ourselves and this world which is like the box that is defined by its dimensions and Heaven is defined by an unlimited openness and infinity to space, time and continuum. It is To Be with the One that Is and always has been... and being part of that in spirit is what the world and any mere mortal can never fulfill in total! Pax, Lux et Amor! Veritas IHS
I love this message, Dave! It summarizes a wonderful book I recently read titled The Retiring Mind by Robert Delamontagne.
I've found that maintaining focus on reconnection with my true self is a daily challenge. It requires practice, awareness, and intentionality. But it has also become a most genuine source of daily joy as I transition into the "post career" phase of life.