A Japanese concept
生き甲斐A reason for being
生き iki means to live; 甲斐 kai means worth, or the result of effort. Together: the thing that makes life worth living, and what gets you up in the morning.
Three out of four
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No payDelight and fullness, but no wealth.
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Not neededSatisfaction, with a sense of uselessness.
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No loveComfortable, but empty.
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Not your strengthExcitement, with a sense of uncertainty.
In Japan, ikigai is often quieter than a life mission: a morning routine, a craft practiced for decades, the people you cook for. It's closely tied to Okinawa, home to some of the longest-lived people on earth. The four-circle chart is a Western addition, popularized around 2014, but it's a useful map for finding where your own circles meet.