Why do we get up in the morning?

我們為何早上會起床？

What is the meaning of life?

人生的意義是什麼？

Questions that we need to answer at some point in our lives, professionally or personally.

這些都是我們人生某個時刻需要回答的問題，不管是在職業上或是私領域。

The Japanese concept of ikigai answers these questions by finding our reason for being.

日本人 ikigai 的哲學理念透過找尋我們存在的理由來回答這些疑問。

What is ikigai, and how can we use its lessons to find meaning and happiness?

Ikigai 是什麼、我們要如何利用其教誨找到生命的意義和快樂呢？

Ikigai is the happiness of always being busy, both professionally and in our day-to-day.

Ikigai 是在工作上和日常生活中永遠繁忙的快樂。

It is the passion and talent we have that gives meaning to our days and drives us to share the best of ourselves with the world.

它是我們擁有的熱情和天份，為生活賦予意義並驅使我們與世界分享最好的自己。

When looking for our professional ikigai, we can ask ourselves four questions:

當我們在尋找工作上的 ikigai 時，可以自問下列四個問題：

What do we love?

我們熱愛什麼？

What are we good at?

我們擅長什麼？

What does the world need?

這個世界需要什麼？

And what can we be paid for?

我們可以在哪裡得到報酬？

Ikigai is found at the intersection of these four questions, where passion, mission, vocation, and profession meet.

Ikigai 可以在這四個問題的交集處被找到，在這裡，熱情、任務、職務和專業有了交會。

The characteristics of everyday ikigai are finding flow in everything we do and remaining active;

日常 ikigai 的特性是在我們做的每一件事上找到流動性並保持活躍、

taking it slow and not worrying; cultivating good habits, including good nutrition;

凡事慢慢來，不要過度擔心、培養好習慣，包括攝取好的養分、

nurturing good friendships; living an unhurried life and exercising daily;

培養良好友誼、慢活並每天運動、

being optimistic and smiling; reconnecting with nature;

維持樂觀且經常微笑、重新與大自然連結、

giving thanks and having resilience; cherishing wabi-sabi, or the imperfection of life;

懂得感恩並堅韌不拔、樂擁侘寂，或是人生的不完美，

and living by "ichi-go, ichi-e", the knowledge that this moment exists only now and won't come again.

然後堅守「一期一會」的理念，也就是意識到此刻只存在於當下，不會再次到來。

By finding our professional ikigai and living according to its characteristics in our day-to-day, we can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.

透過找到工作上的 ikigai 並於日常中依循其特點生活，我們就能過上有意義且充實的生活。

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live among the longest in the world.

日本沖繩島上的居民，其平均壽命位列世界之首。

Their secret?

他們的秘訣呢？

Living according to ikigai and thereby constantly maintaining their happiness.

依循 Ikigai 過生活，並從而不斷地維持他們的快樂感。