What does Ikigai really mean? Is it your purpose, your passion, your career — or something much deeper?

In Part 1 of my conversation with Christal Burnette, we move beyond the popular four-circle interpretation of Ikigai and explore what Christal has learnt from living and working in Okinawa and alongside longevity researcher Dr. Makoto Suzuki.

Christal explains Little Ikigai and Big Ikigai, why fulfilment is different from happiness, and the role that our passions, strengths, values and the people we want to serve can play in understanding our Ikigai.

She also shares her own journey — moving from Florida to Japan, studying Okinawan longevity, meeting Dr. Suzuki, experimenting with several businesses, experiencing failure and eventually recognising the work that gave her a deeper sense of fulfilment.

And we end Part 1 with a question that takes us directly into Part 2:

Are we born with an Ikigai, or is it something we have to figure out?

00:00 Welcome & Introduction
01:40 What Does Ikigai Really Mean?
03:59 Little Ikigai vs Big Ikigai
05:27 Can We Get Bored of Our Ikigai?
06:55 The Four Elements of Big Ikigai
12:53 Christal's Journey from Florida to Japan
15:00 Why Okinawa and Longevity?
18:41 Meeting Dr. Makoto Suzuki
20:30 Taking Okinawan Longevity to the World
24:00 Moving Countries & Building a Life in Japan
29:40 Businesses, Experiments & Failures
32:35 Was Christal Searching for Ikigai or Success?
34:54 Happiness vs Fulfilment
35:51 Are We Born With an Ikigai?

[Ikigai, Ikigai meaning, what is Ikigai, Little Ikigai, Big Ikigai, Japanese Ikigai, Okinawa, Okinawan longevity, longevity, purpose in life, finding purpose, fulfilment, happiness vs fulfilment, passions and strengths, personal values, Christal Burnette, Makoto Suzuki, career purpose, self-discovery, Unblur the Path, Lakshmi Seth]