Wellness Corner 40: Life Philosophies from Japan

Hey Falcons,

Most if not all cultures have a unique philosophy of life and living. The Japanese are no exception. Let’s examine three of their traditional life philosophies, so we too can invite joy and fulfillment into our lives. 

1. Uketamo means acceptance to the core.

The Yamabushi monks of northern Japan believe that the sooner you can accept all the good and bad things life throws at you, the lighter you will feel. For example: You didn’t get the grade on the test so badly wanted? Uketamo. You’ll get it next time. Embracing your reality and dealing with it is the most effective path, and it leads to more adaptability as well.

2. Kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese tradition of repairing broken ceramics by adding gold.

In the Zen tradition, the broken pieces of an accidentally-smashed pot should be picked up, reassembled and then glued together with gold powder or small flecks of gold. Kintsugi accepts that every imperfection, both in us and all other beings and items in the world, is unique — our "battle scars” are super important. Similarly, in life, we should embrace and celebrate our flaws and imperfections.

3. Ikigai is all about finding joy in life through purpose.

Your ikigai is what gets you up every morning and keeps you going. Individuals who found their ikigai in life, or even just set daily intentions, see the big picture, have a goal in mind and know the why behind what they do. Try setting a daily intention to get started: what you want to accomplish in a day. The journey to finding your life’s ikigai might take time and be arduous. But it’s worth it. 

Let’s try to adopt these three philosophies into our lives. They can certainly pay us dividends.

Stay well,

Eshaan