Wellness and Needs

Finding Harmony Between Ikigai and Maslow: A Path to Wellness and Purpose

Grab your journal and your The LOTUS Within book (https://www.amazon.com/LOTUS-Within-Purpose-Ignite-Passion/dp/B0DDRDXB89 ). This week we are immersing on finding our true north with ikigai and the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Have you ever felt like your life is missing something essential, even when your basic needs are met? In chasing goals or checking boxes, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly fuels your spirit. That’s where Ikigai and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs offer a powerful compass—steering us toward wellness entwined with purpose.

What Is Ikigai?

Rooted in Japanese philosophy, Ikigai translates roughly to “a reason for being”—the sweet spot where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for intersect. It’s more than a diagram—it’s a compass for living with joy and intention, aligning daily actions with our deepest values and capabilities.

Maslow and the Drive to Thrive

Abraham Maslow’s model maps our human needs from foundational to transcendent. We start with deficiency needs—physiological and safety essentials—and move upward toward psychological and self-fulfillment needs. Only when these lower layers are met can we truly tap the motivation that fuels growth and self-actualization.

Where Ikigai Meets Maslow

These two frameworks align beautifully:

• Basic Needs & Ikigai’s Practicality: The “what you can be paid for” element of Ikigai parallels Maslow’s physiological and safety tiers—ensuring stability is key before deeper pursuits emerge.

  
  

• Belonging & Passion: The elements of “what you love” and “what you’re good at” feed into Maslow’s psychological needs—fostering belonging, esteem, and identity.

  
  

• Self‑Actualization Meets Ikigai Fulfillment: At Maslow’s summit lies self-actualization—becoming your fullest potential—which aligns fundamentally with realizing your Ikigai in a way that blends passion, talent, purpose, and livelihood.

  
  

The Wellness Benefits of Ikigai

Science shows that living with purpose brings more than satisfaction—it brings health. A clear sense of Ikigai can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety

• Improve resilience in adversity

• Enhance immune function and cardiovascular health

• Potentially extend lifespan

  
  

Ikigai is more than a motivational concept—it’s a practical and embodied path to holistic wellness.

Steps Toward Integration

Here’s a simple way to weave these ideas into daily life:

1. Secure Your Foundation Begin by ensuring your physiological and safety needs—food, shelter, stability—are in place.

2. Reflect on Your Passions and Strengths Ask: What lights me up? What comes naturally to me? Jot down moments when you feel most capable and alive.

3. Identify What the World Needs Is there a way your passions align with a broader purpose—your community, the planet, a cause?

4. Bridge to Livelihood Explore ways these gifts and desires could also support you financially or sustainably.

5. Test, Iterate, Grow Try small adjustments: a side project, volunteer role, or creative hobby. See what resonates and builds momentum.

6. Journal Weekly to Stay Aligned Ask: Where did I feel purposeful or fulfilled this week? Where was I just going through the motions?

   
   

Journal Questions: Your Turning‑Point Prompts

1. What am I doing today that aligns with what I love, what I’m good at, and what the world needs—and how could this become something I can be paid for?

2. Which lower-level needs (e.g. safety, belonging) feel unsettled right now—and what small step can I take to address them so I can better pursue my Ikigai?

3. When in the past week did I feel most energized, purposeful, or connected—and how can I invite more of those moments into my life going forward?

   
   

Wishing you peace and purpose in every step of your journey.

Warmly,

Amelia Duran‑Stanton

Author of The LOTUS Within