Ikigai - Connection is Our Purpose
This month at the Momentum Center, we are exploring the concept of Ikigai—one’s reason for being. It’s often described as the intersection of what we love, what we’re good at, what the world needs, and what is sustainable.
But what if it’s even simpler than that?
In the TED Talk below by Robert Waldinger, we’re reminded that the clearest predictor of a meaningful, healthy life isn’t wealth, success, or even achievement—it’s connection. Strong relationships are what allow people to navigate hardship, experience joy, and ultimately flourish.
I saw this firsthand during my time in the Philippines.
What struck me most was not the absence of struggle—because there was plenty of that—but the absence of isolation. People showed up for one another, naturally and consistently. But the more time I spent there, the more I realized something deeper: that kind of connection is built on a foundation of self-assurance.
Not arrogance. Not ego.
But a quiet confidence—people who seem to know who they are, where they belong, and how they fit into the world around them. That kind of self-understanding creates space for generosity. When you are secure in yourself, you don’t compete for worth—you extend it to others.
And that’s when community flourishes.
That realization stayed with me because it reminded me of a very different time in my own life.
Before starting the nonprofit, I was searching—asking all the questions of Ikigai without even knowing the framework existed. What was I supposed to do? What did I want to do? What could I do? And how could I sustain myself doing it?
But underneath all of those questions was something more fundamental: I didn’t yet have the confidence to trust my place in the world. I was trying to find my purpose without fully believing I had one.
What I’ve come to understand is that Ikigai isn’t something we discover all at once. It’s something we grow into—often alongside others who help us see our value before we can fully see it ourselves.
Which is why this work matters so much.
At the Momentum Center, whether through something as structured as the Friendship Bench or as simple as a conversation, we are creating spaces where people are seen, heard, and valued. Spaces where confidence can be rebuilt. Spaces where connection becomes possible.
If you are wondering about your own Ikigai, the short video below from University of the People offers a helpful place to start. But just as importantly, look around. Who is building you up? And who can you build up in return?
Because sometimes purpose doesn’t begin with clarity—it begins with connection.
And sometimes, it even looks like karaoke.
On my last night in the Philippines, I found myself pulled into a public karaoke circle—no preparation, no escape, and definitely no professional skill. But what I experienced in that moment was something bigger than performance. It was joy without judgment. Encouragement without hesitation. A kind of collective confidence that made it impossible not to join in.
And honestly, that may be the clearest proof I have that self-confidence is contagious.
And when it spreads, so does connection.
Namaste,
Barbara Lee
Experi-Mentor
Barbara@MomentumCenterGH.org
