The week to figure everything out has come to an end and with it an amazing journey. I have had the opportunity to have amazing conversations. Saturday; I had the chance to catch up with a friend and ponder life and what was coming next. Sunday; I had the opportunity to have my artistic alley conversation with a friend. Tuesday; I meet up with my professor friend who offered me great life advice and insight into how he did life and made his dream a reality. Wednesday; I went to my friends house and caught up about the summer and everything that had been happening to us. Thursday; I got in touch with a friend whom I hadn’t got to talk to in some time. I was glad to catch up with her and to celebrate our return to school and a new beginning. I wondered who I would talk to on Friday or what would happen. If anything I could say that karma and life came back to tell me I was trying to move to fast, that I needed to slow down.
The weekend was the beginning of my new job in the world of coffee. I thought I would stop by the book store on Saturday. Yes, book-stores still exist here and there and fortunately enough there is one in my home town. The book I bought was Ikigai. The book that encapsulates the ideas about finding happiness and meaning in life. One philosophy I discovered recently that impacted my life is about fear and taking responsibility. I believe that most fear comes from uncertainty, and uncertainty comes from the inability to take responsibility. Once we take responsibility we become accountable. Most people, not all but a vast majority of people drift though life and allow purpose be assigned to them, handed to them or given to them, but never taken for themselves.
Purpose come meaning and meaning comes definition. Though definition the formless takes form, and the anxiety we use to feel over the uncertain dissipates as we take action rather then allow ourselves constantly be in a reactionary state.
Today I take responsibility for my dreams and begin to breath life in and make my own Ikigai. 566 Days until I plan on going back to Japan as to continue to journey. This is my journey, and this my story. at 4 Kanji a day that’s well over 2000 and at one grammatical lesson that at least 500 elements of language. Grand ambitions and grand plans. I set sail tomorrow morning at 0400.