Last week, I attended a networking meetup—one of those events where driven professionals gather to exchange ideas, expand their connections, and explore new opportunities. We’ve all been there, right?
Handshakes, business cards, the usual talk about what we do and how we do it.
But this time, something unexpected happened.
I met Sumrit, a sharp, accomplished entrepreneur who runs a successful digital marketing business. As we delved deeper into our conversation, Sumrit said something that really struck a chord: “I know there’s much more to life than just this.” He wasn’t talking about abandoning his business or walking away from his achievements.
He was talking about something deeper, something more meaningful—a purpose beyond the hustle. What intrigued me even more was that Sumrit had already begun exploring this deeper side of life.
He’d started practicing meditation and was even teaching it to others. It was clear he was on a journey to integrate more meaning and mindfulness into his daily life, but he was still searching for that unifying purpose—his Ikigai.
That’s when our conversation took a turn. As someone who has spent years studying and guiding others to discover their Ikigai, I knew we were about to dive into a conversation that could change everything.
Success Without Fulfillment: A Common Dilemma
As we talked, it became clear that while Sumrit’s digital marketing business was thriving, it wasn’t completely fulfilling him on a deeper level. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We hit a certain level of success, and then we wonder, “Is this really it? Is this what I’m meant to do?” It’s a tough place to be because it’s easy to confuse achievement with purpose.
As we were discussing this, another conversation sparked with someone else at the event—a woman who had built her own marketing agency from scratch. She had moved countries, overcome countless obstacles, and created something truly impressive. Yet, she admitted to me that her real dream was to write a book. The only thing holding her back? Her belief in herself.
Now, here’s someone who’s clearly capable—she’s built a thriving business, made bold life changes, and yet, when it comes to pursuing what she’s truly passionate about, she’s stuck. But as we broke it down, a plan began to form. She told me she could write one page in just 10 minutes—that’s 1% of her day. If she aimed to write just five pages a week, excluding weekends, she could have a 250-page book written within the year. The realization was powerful: once the goal is clear, breaking it down into small, achievable steps makes it tangible and doable. It’s all about clarity on your Ikigai and then making a failproof plan with 1% improvements every day.
Ikigai: The Intersection of Passion and Purpose
In both of these conversations, the concept of Ikigai kept coming up. Over the years, I’ve helped countless individuals and organizations discover their Ikigai, and it’s clear that this idea is more relevant than ever. Here’s how I explained it to them:
What You Love: Start with your passions. What do you genuinely love doing? This isn’t just about hobbies—it’s about the activities that make you lose track of time, that bring you true joy.
What You’re Good At: Identify your strengths. What skills have you mastered? What comes naturally to you? The real magic happens where your passions intersect with your competencies.
What the World Needs: Think about how you can contribute to the world. How can you use your passions and skills to meet a real need? It’s not about saving the planet; it’s about making a meaningful impact, no matter how big or small.
What You Can Get Paid For: Financial sustainability is crucial. The goal is to find a way to align your passions, skills, and the world’s needs with something that also brings in income. This is where true professional fulfillment lies.
My Journey: From Corporate Transformation to Personal Transformation
My perspective on all of this comes from experience—not just in helping others, but from my own journey. For over a decade, I worked with Fortune 500 companies, helping them transform their businesses. And do you know what I found? The biggest obstacles weren’t the systems or processes—it was the people. The resistance to change, the fear of failure, the struggle to find meaning in the work—it was all rooted in the human side of business.
Then, life threw me a curveball. I got sick and ended up hospitalized for four months. During that time, I had a lot of time to think. I realized how quickly everything we’ve built can be taken away. That experience forced me to reevaluate everything. I started applying the principles I used in business transformation to my own life. It was a long, challenging process, but it led me to a deeper understanding of what really matters.
Over the past seven years, I’ve invested heavily in personal transformation, which led me to create the Resilience Operating System (OS) and co-found STRESSFIT.
These programs, with over 3 million plays and a thriving community, focus on helping people discover their Ikigai, build resilience, and live more fulfilled lives.
A Shift in Perspective
As our conversations at the meetup unfolded, I could see the shift happening in both Sumrit and the woman from the marketing agency. Sumrit, who had already started exploring the more meaningful aspects of life through meditation, began to see how he could integrate these practices into his business, aligning it more with his deeper values and purpose. He left the event with a renewed sense of direction, eager to explore how his business could serve not just as a source of income, but as a platform for fulfilling his Ikigai.
As for the woman who dreamed of writing a book, once she broke her goal down into manageable steps, it no longer seemed so daunting. By dedicating just 1% of her day to writing, she could see the path to making her dream a reality within a year. It was all about clarity on her Ikigai—finding that intersection of passion and purpose—and then committing to small, consistent actions that lead to big results.
Your Journey to Ikigai
If any of this resonates with you—if you’re feeling that pull to find more meaning in what you do—I encourage you to explore your own Ikigai. It’s not about dropping everything and making drastic changes overnight. It’s about finding that intersection where your passions, skills, the world’s needs, and financial sustainability align.
If you’d like to learn more about how to discover your Ikigai and embark on your own journey to fulfillment, reach out to see if you are a good fit. Our program is designed to help you find your purpose, build resilience, and live a life that’s not just successful, but truly meaningful.
Because in the end, success without fulfillment leaves us feeling empty. But when you align with your Ikigai, you find not just a path, but a life that truly matters. And that’s a journey worth every step
My Journey: From Corporate Transformation to Personal Transformation
My perspective on all of this comes from experience—not just in helping others, but from my own journey. For over a decade, I worked with Fortune 500 companies, helping them transform their businesses. And do you know what I found? The biggest obstacles weren’t the systems or processes—it was the people. The resistance to change, the fear of failure, the struggle to find meaning in the work—it was all rooted in the human side of business.
Then, life threw me a curveball. I got sick and ended up hospitalized for four months. During that time, I had a lot of time to think. I realized how quickly everything we’ve built can be taken away. That experience forced me to reevaluate everything. I started applying the principles I used in business transformation to my own life. It was a long, challenging process, but it led me to a deeper understanding of what really matters.
Over the past seven years, I’ve invested heavily in personal transformation, which led me to create the Resilience Operating System (OS) and co-found STRESSFIT.
These programs, with over 3 million plays and a thriving community, focus on helping people discover their Ikigai, build resilience, and live more fulfilled lives.
A Shift in Perspective
As our conversations at the meetup unfolded, I could see the shift happening in both Sumrit and the woman from the marketing agency. Sumrit, who had already started exploring the more meaningful aspects of life through meditation, began to see how he could integrate these practices into his business, aligning it more with his deeper values and purpose. He left the event with a renewed sense of direction, eager to explore how his business could serve not just as a source of income, but as a platform for fulfilling his Ikigai.
As for the woman who dreamed of writing a book, once she broke her goal down into manageable steps, it no longer seemed so daunting. By dedicating just 1% of her day to writing, she could see the path to making her dream a reality within a year. It was all about clarity on her Ikigai—finding that intersection of passion and purpose—and then committing to small, consistent actions that lead to big results.
Your Journey to Ikigai
If any of this resonates with you—if you’re feeling that pull to find more meaning in what you do—I encourage you to explore your own Ikigai. It’s not about dropping everything and making drastic changes overnight. It’s about finding that intersection where your passions, skills, the world’s needs, and financial sustainability align.
If you’d like to learn more about how to discover your Ikigai and embark on your own journey to fulfillment, reach out to see if you are a good fit. Our program is designed to help you find your purpose, build resilience, and live a life that’s not just successful, but truly meaningful.
Because in the end, success without fulfillment leaves us feeling empty. But when you align with your Ikigai, you find not just a path, but a life that truly matters. And that’s a journey worth every step.
