🌸 ikigai 生き甲斐 is a reason for being, your purpose in life - from the Japanese iki 生き meaning life and gai 甲斐 meaning worth 🌸
Life is as often weird and silly as it is undeniably awesome. So I try to take it all with a pinch of salt, this game we are playing.
I’m a happy soul because moments of unexpected magic and joy are all around, well they are if you are looking for them.
I was moved to tears this week by the sheer beauty and paradox of the end credits poem in Minecraft.
The euphoria after the stress of killing the Ender dragon. You jump through the end portal and there it is, a ridiculous and audacious piece of art within another.
A love letter from the universe, an epic nearly 8 minute slow scrolling poem against the backdrop of the beauty of blocky space, the words of two entities who are talking about you;
“Who are we? Once we were called the spirit of the mountain. Father sun, mother moon. Ancestral spirits, animal spirits. Jinn. Ghosts. The green man. Then gods, demons. Angels. Poltergeists. Aliens, extraterrestrials. Leptons, quarks. The words change. We do not change.”
The story behind the poem by Julian Gough is epic, and sad, and humbling.
He wrote this beautiful story for a friend who ended up hurting him by not treating him as a friend. Oh and he didn’t make very much money from it, especially galling given the scale of the Microsoft buyout of Mojang who made the game.
The fact he still has a balanced position on art and capitalism is bloody breathtaking;
“By the way, I am not against the capitalism game, it’s fun, and I sometimes play it myself; I just don’t think it should be allowed to use its money to change the laws to completely bulldoze the art game, the friendship game, the love game, the gift game, out of existence. Stories, along with songs and games, are important, are a vital common resource; stories are how we make sense of reality, and shape our lives. Five global corporations should not own all the characters in our dreams.”
What happened to Julian could be a dampener but my optimism muscles are exercised regularly. It is a tale of someone awesome, who on a slightly different twist of fate, would have been paid handsomely for creating something uniquely beautiful.
This is what our world is like, well it is now we've survived our first night and built our starter home *grin* (if you haven’t played Minecraft you really really should, it’s epic!).
We can write a poem that is seen by hundreds of millions of people in a game that made its creator a billionaire. It can make you a millionaire if you play by the rules of the man, or you can learn a lesson and measure your worth by a different metric.
The magic of human existence lies in its unpredictability, if you can learn to ride out the frustrations. When you wake up each morning, you have absolutely no idea what the day might bring. And that, dear reader, I find nothing short of AMAZING!
The magic of uncertainty & increasing your luck
What if we chose to embrace the uncertainty? Approaching each moment with the excitement of a child, not knowing what's coming but thrilled by the possibilities?
With practice we open ourselves up to the magical moments that surround us. They aren't always grand or obvious. Sometimes hidden in plain sight, waiting for us to notice them. If we are lucky.
Is luck something that happens to us? I think you can make your own luck.
By being the energy we want to attract, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we radiate positivity, curiosity, and openness, we naturally draw similar energies and opportunities towards us.
I’ve met the most amazing people in life, but especially since I’ve started on this path with Seeking Ikigai. I’ve tried hard to stop caring so much about what others think, letting fear stop me from giving things a go.
It might not be easy or quick, but starting is key. Looking back, you will never regret teeny tiny tangible steps you took towards increasing your luck, or living your dream.
With this luck I now have 39 published essays, something I’m really proud of. I’ve made many amazing new connections. These achievements compound over time, expanding your reach and surface area for luck.

Break free from limitations & choose your game
One of the biggest obstacles to living freely is the fear of judgement. But most people are too preoccupied with their own lives to spend time judging, they're not waiting around to mock your dreams.
Many people live day-to-day with stress, illness, or in ugly or difficult environments that don't nurture their potential. They might not have people in their lives to help them realise that we can do ANYTHING.
Some people are taught this by osmosis from birth, often those lucky enough to be born to wealth who probably don’t need the advice as much as those of us born on council estates *grin*
Some people are playing the game of life on easy mode. They might have parents who gave them money and taught them financial literacy, or left them substantial inheritances. Family members in old boys networks who know the right people.
No judgement. No-one chooses the circumstances of their birth. We can only take what we're given and play the hand we're dealt. We need to have compassion for those not given our gifts, we can all help level the playing field.
Though some people seem to want to keep you from learning that you can pick a new game to play at any point. Or become the gamesmaster. Or stop playing.
There’s lots of amazing souls though who are willing to help and share, who have an abundance mindset and don’t pull the ladder up behind them!
I’ll keep working on increasing my luck and spreading a little sparkle, knowing that tomorrow any of us could win the lottery, or touch the heart of someone wealthy who bungs us a quid or two to keep on with our rambly thoughts.
You just never know.
It will never stop me working hard, grinding the mats that me and my family need to be happy, so that we can help as many others as we can.
I know that a win in any game is possible (COME ON ENGLAND!, ahem), it’s only a twist of fate away at any moment in time.
There's beauty, magic, and sheer brilliance in every game in life if you learn to look.
A Counterbalance
While optimism and striving for purpose in my daily life are very liberating for me, I am mindful of alternative perspectives;
Toxicity - The emphasis on finding joy and beauty in everything might inadvertently promote toxic positivity, where negative emotions are suppressed or dismissed. It's important to acknowledge and process negative emotions and experiences. Not everything in life is positive, and pretending otherwise can be psychologically harmful.
Privilege blindness - The idea that anyone can do "literally ANYTHING" if they set their mind to it can overlook very real systemic barriers and inequalities. While a positive attitude is beneficial, we need to recognise that societal structures, economic realities, and personal circumstances can significantly limit opportunities for many individuals.
Underestimating the impact of poor mental health - For many people, professional help and sometimes medication are necessary to address depression or anxiety, positive thinking alone is not always sufficient.
Potential for Reckless Behaviour - Encouraging people to embrace uncertainty and "play a new game" could be interpreted as an endorsement of reckless or irresponsible behaviour. While calculated risks can lead to growth, it's important to make informed decisions and consider potential consequences.
We can temper joy and excitement with a respect for genuine challenges, and an understanding of broader societal contexts. We can strive for a middle ground that allows for both optimism and realism, spontaneity and planning, individual growth and community support.
Respawn
Life is this silly, wonderful game.
I want you to enjoy the grind with me, let’s play multiplayer *grin*
It's unpredictable and challenging, full of the potential for joy and growth.
I embrace its weirdness and look for magic in the everyday, while crafting a life that resonates with my deepest sense of purpose, seeking my ikigai.
We all have the power to change our perspective, choose our game, and find beauty in the unexpected.
I hope you get to revel in the awesome, weird, and silly journey of life today. After all, tomorrow you have NO idea what is going to happen, and I think that is AMAZING!
Have you played Minecraft? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Sarah, seeking ikigai xxx
PS;
and the universe said I love you because you are love.
And the game was over and the player woke up from the dream. And the player began a new dream. And the player dreamed again, dreamed better. And the player was the universe. And the player was love.
You are the player.
Wake up.
PPS; building on the four steps from last week’s essay, here are two more practical steps in building up your own ikigai journaling practice;
Step 5. Build a supportive community
Surround yourself with people who inspire and support your journey towards ikigai;
Create a "My Tribe" spread in your journal. List people who align with your values and inspire you, choose some people you already know and some that are aspirational to connect with and learn from.
Set a monthly goal to have meaningful conversations with at least three people from your "tribe." We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with, we need to be consciously in control of some of that time allocation!
Step 6. Cultivate Self-Belief
Believing in your potential is important for realising your ikigai;
Create an "Achievements" spread in your bullet journal. Record both small wins and major milestones. When people say nice things to you or about you, write them down.
Remind yourself to visit this spread when things are feeling hard, we all have dry periods in life, but you will get a boost from remembering your achievements which may help you move forward.