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The concept of Ikigai has long existed in Japanese culture but was popularized in the sixties by Japanese psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya in her 1966 book On the Meaning of Life. Since then, it has become synonymous in Western Culture with finding one’s purpose.

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In the last 12 months, since retiring from the corporate world to pursue my calling, I have been asked by dozens of people, "What was your inspiration?" and "Why do you have so much peace?" I consistently state that I surrendered and stepped out of the boat in complete hope, trust, faith, and belief. Listen to my story here.

While I have used the Ikigai framework for many years, this year I developed a similar but more spiritual model. I call it Avodah.

Avodah - Finding Seamless Joy in Work, Worship, and Service

Avodah means “work, worship, and service” in Hebrew. Avodah is different from Ikigai in four important ways.

 

  • Ikigai focuses on what one loves to do. Avodah focuses on what one enjoys doing, with an emphasis on “joy”. Love is a strong, sometimes fleeting affection, while joy is a recurring feeling of extreme happiness.

  • Ikigai focuses on one's skills. Avodah focuses on one’s gifts. Skills are developed over time, while gifts are natural talents that we are born with.

  • Ikigai focuses on what the world needs. Avodah focuses on where one is being called to serve. What the world needs is discerned by humans, while a calling is discerned spiritually.

  • Ikigai focuses on what one can be paid for. Avodah focuses on trusting that provision will be granted. Getting paid is about us wanting and expecting, while provision is about us trusting without expectation.

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Ikigai is human-centered and is based on our control. It is about what “we” or “I” can do. It is about keeping our hands on the wheel and trusting ourselves.

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Avodah is spiritually centered and is based on one’s hope, trust, faith, and belief. It is about giving up control to truly yield and surrender one’s vocational discernment to prayer and meditation. It is about what the Lord can do through us. It is about us being patient and acting in His time, for His purposes, and serving dutifully.

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We are in the world, but we do not need to build careers and vocations being of the world. Often, it is our fears that prevent or delay us from pursuing our purpose or calling.

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Below are excerpts from the commencement speech that I gave twenty-two years ago, upon graduating with my MBA.

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🎤 "Some people are fortunate. They are working in vocations that are their true calling. They are happy, inspired, and have balance in their lives."

🎤 "We all have dreams of climbing the career ladder, but doesn't it make sense to have your ladder against the right wall?"

🎤 "I struggle daily with weaning myself from the corporate breast to live my passion—a career as an educator."

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On August 31, 2022, after much prayer and discernment, after leaning into Avodah and trusting my calling, I exited the corporate world after thirty years. Today, I am:

 

 

My mission: to coach, teach, train, mentor, develop, equip, guide, and serve people. I will do this in boardrooms, conference rooms, and classrooms.

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👉 Never give up on your dreams! Push through your fears. Practice Avodah and pursue your purpose and calling.

 

Want to learn more about Avodah? Feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to serve and uplift you.

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Wishing you all clarity in your discernment of the fulfillment of your calling. Have a great life on purpose! Peace and blessings!!

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