Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life is such a pretty, calming, little book to look at. And what’s inside feels the same way.
I used to think purpose was this big, shiny thing you either found or didn’t. Like some magical treasure at the end of a scavenger hunt called “Life.” Spoiler: that hunt stressed me out.
Then I came across the idea of ikigai. Japanese for “a reason for being,” but more like… the tiny sparks that make life feel alive. The moments where you’re doing something and time doesn’t exist, where you feel like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if it’s just for ten minutes.
For me, those sparks show up in the small stuff. Writing, obviously, is always my way to process life without exploding. But also cooking when I actually want to, not just for survival mode dinners. There’s something about chopping, stirring, tasting, and tweaking that pulls me right in. Flow.
Or organizing. Yes, organizing. That weirdly satisfying click when everything falls into place exactly the way it should. Or researching some random topic and somehow ending up three hours deep in the most obscure corners of the internet. Even gaming, building worlds, solving puzzles, and losing myself in a story can light that spark.
None of it has to be “productive.” Productivity is overrated. These little sparks exist for one reason: to remind you that joy is alive, waiting in the corners of your everyday life.
If you want to start noticing your own sparks, here’s what’s actually helpful:
- Pay attention to what makes time vanish. That feeling where fifteen minutes somehow becomes two hours? That’s a clue.
- Notice what you actually enjoy. Forget what looks good on paper. If coloring your pantry or painting tiny models or gardening makes you happy, that’s real.
- Recognize what feels easy. The things you’re naturally good at are often hiding in plain sight. No struggle required.
- Notice when you feel useful. Maybe it’s helping someone solve a problem, making something someone else enjoys, or just being a calming presence. Big or small, usefulness counts.
- Allow yourself to enjoy things. Joy doesn’t need to make sense or come with a paycheck. Sometimes it just needs you to show up and say, “This matters to me.”
For me, naming my sparks (thanks, ikigai) has made me pay attention to them more. I don’t have to turn every part of life into some huge mission. I can just exist in these little pockets of calm, creativity, and connection, and honestly, that’s enough.
So today, let yourself get lost in something. Cook, craft, game, research a weird rabbit hole, do whatever pulls you in. Your purpose isn’t hiding in some dramatic reveal; it’s already here, quietly lighting up the corners of your life.
With love & light,
Jessica ♡
Unraveling the Self 
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