A parent’s love knows no bounds
This love seeks to nourish, protect, strengthen, and guide life’s choices.
For most, this love requires nothing in return. However, I believe there is a seed in all of us (parents) that hopes our efforts will yield some semblance of adherence to the values, beliefs, and interests we seek to instill.
Unfortunately, (or perhaps, fortunately…) every person is designed differently. I’m witness to this difference in design with my son, who is a completely different person than I was at his age. My sports are his creativity. My participation is his trepidation. My academic struggles are his ease.
Often, in our maternal and paternal effort to craft and mold our little ones—crafting done with that boundless love—we lose sight of the fact that their interests, passions, and skills may be quite different from our own. As we work day in and day out to mold the clay to the vision in our hearts, it’s easy to grow frustrated at the lack of pliability and conformity.
So, what does Ikigai have to do with any of this?
Ikigai is the Japanese secret to a joyful life (as stated on the Japanese government’s website).
By combining four elements of life, the Japanese believe one can find fulfillment and joy. In Dan Buettner’s work on Blue Zones, he cites Ikigai as one of the reasons for Okinawan’s long life expectancy. The four elements of Ikigai include: doing what you love; doing what you are good at; doing what you can be paid for; and doing work that the world needs.
Ultimately, what we want for our kids is happiness, satisfaction, and a good, long life. If that’s our wish for our children, then perhaps spending more time helping them achieve Ikigai would be a more noble endeavor than trying to mold the clay as we see fit.
"Once you figure out what your passion is, surround yourself with like-minded people who can help you grow."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Jessica St. Clair</span>
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them." <br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80">~ Napoleon Bonaparte</span>
