The Way of the Monk: How to Find Purpose, Balance, and Lasting Happiness

by The Way of the Monk Gaur Gopal Das

We should understand ourselves to know what is meaningful to us and what we want to devote our time to. This can be done by understanding our purpose, which takes dedication and patience. •Discovering our purpose is exciting, just as opening a gift gives the feeling of anticipation and joy. Reaching our purpose in life is a journey, not an event. •The Japanese have a model called ikigai or a “reason to live,” which is composed of four traits we need to understand: What do we love? What are we good at? What does the world need? What can we be paid for? Sairaj and his family discovered that for him early on in his life. •If we are older and have not yet figured out our purpose, we can follow the principle: love what we have to do and do what we love to do. Note: To help you find your ikigai, you can complete an exercise in Appendix 2 (Ikigai Worksheet).