In this video, Nick Kemp explores the connection between ikigai and existential positive psychology, revealing how embracing life's challenges can lead to a deeper self-understanding and a more meaningful existence.
Overcoming challenges that are meaningful
Nick: My journey of ikigai led me to eudaimonia. It's, again, quite broad and hard to define in one sentence. But I guess what came up for me was, it seems very relatable to existential positive psychology where we grow, and if we overcome challenges that are meaningful, or if we do work, or engage in activities that are worthwhile, yet, maybe challenging, we seem to grow and learn more about ourselves and become this fuller person and have a deeper understanding that we're capable of more or we uncover this part of ourselves that we didn't realize existed.
So it sort of makes a case for us to get out there and and challenge ourselves. And I think it's a nice alternative to what we often hear in the modern literature, or from a lot of coaches, this idea of ‘be the best version of yourself’, which I'm quite sick of hearing.