Sense of Purpose

An incredibly big element of wellness is a strong and clear sense of purpose. When we have purpose, or a reason for being, our lives can be incredibly fulfilling and healthful. Ikigai, a Japanese word that literally means reason for being, provides a way to help define this incredibly important thread in our lives. The infographic included here illustrates Ikigai in a very simple and relatable way.

Ikigai, or this sense of purpose, is a central theme in the Blue Zone community of Okinawa. If you haven’t heard that term before, Blue Zone communities are regions of the world where an above average number of people live healthier and longer lives than usual.

The term first appeared in a National Geographic cover story in 2005 by Dan Buettner and has been followed by extensive research and initiatives funded by National Geographic to explore this phenomenon.

One of the key findings of Buettner’s work, which was founded on research by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, was the determination that the single most important influence on the longevity of the Okinawans is community. In fact, central to every Blue Zone, longevity was exactly that – community.

So it seems intuitive that we look at our community relationships, connections, affiliations and contributions when we consider our state of wellness. This is picked up in the Social element of both the Ziglar and the Wellness diagrams, but we feel it needs to be emphasized in our search for a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.

Career Satisfaction

This topic is partially included in the element of Purpose, but deserves some specific focus as it may account for a significant part of your life.

As we explored in the above infographic for Ikigai,

balancing what you are good at and love doing with the ability to earn money and cover your needs is a delicate dance. 

Very often, we find ourselves out of balance when we’re not making enough money to be relatively free of stress (even if we’re doing something we love), or alternately making a lot of money but with no joy attached to that pursuit.

Some people are blessed with finding their life’s purpose in a career that bears fruit, whereas others wander many paths without unraveling this mystery over the course of their lifetime.

Choosing the career path that will bring the most fulfilment for you is not easy.

Occasionally, we meet people who always knew what they wanted to be, but more often people struggle to find that sweet spot that gives them career satisfaction and financial fulfilment.

Most importantly, know thyself. If you can make a difference doing something that you are gifted to do, or have a particular forte in, work can become easier and more fulfilling.

“The Affinity Principle,” talks about a concept called flow.

The flow state was defined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi as a state of complete immersion in an activity.

While in this mental state, people are completely involved and focused on what they are doing. When this occurs in our chosen career, it is an incredible gift. 

You can chase the perks, status and salary, but if what you do doesn’t resonate within you, finding that Zen state of flow will likely be an elusive goal.

 
Financial Wellness

Wellness in any realm requires balance and a holistic approach. Financial wellness is no different and as with the other elements, one size does not fit all. Wealth does not directly correlate to financial wellness. When measuring your financial wellness, you need to consider factors such as:

• Are you suffering from, or relatively free of financial stress?
• Are you making improvements to your financial wellness by saving more, reducing debt, and/or budgeting?
• Do you have, or are you building, financial knowledge that helps guide your financial behaviors?
• Do you have a financial plan to reach your desired state of financial wellness? 
• What is your overall level of personal satisfaction with your current finances?

These are some simple guides you can use to review your financial wellness. Most importantly, keep your financial wellness in perspective. It is not directly proportionate to your net worth; it is directly proportionate to your overall level of personal satisfaction with your current finances.

SIDE NOTE: In studies, it has been determined that the level of happiness a person experiences elevates with income up to a certain point. Researchers have found that happiness doesn’t change much once that threshold of income has been reached. Andrew T. Jebb, the lead author on a study that defined these thresholds across the world said,

“There’s a certain point where money seems to bring no more benefits to well-being in terms of both feelings and your evaluation.”