#ikigai ## Definition The mainstream, English definition by Oxford English Dictionary [1] > a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living The Japanese definition [2] > **iki**: life > **gai**(kai): suffix meaning roughly **the realization of what one expects and hopes for**. > > _ikiru hariai, yorokobi, meate_ > **something to live for, the joy and goal of living** > _ikite iru dake no neuchi, ikite inu kōfuku, rieki_ > **a life worth living, the happiness and benefit of being alive** PS: Drop alternative definitions and sources in littlefish Discord. ## The background In March 2022, littlefish Foundation was just beginning. It started with the [Catalyst proposal](https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/404668), in which we laid out the [[5- The Basics - littlefish, colonies and Action|basic idea]] of littlefish in communities taking Action to achieve common goals. We shut ourselves in for a week in a magical place called Zeytinlikuyu, disconnected from the world, and dreamt about what littlefish Foundation could be. Ideas were flowing and philosophy was at the fore. [3] One question we asked ourselves was: Who are we building for? Maslow's Hiearachy of Needs showed us the way. Taking Action and being part of a community is great, but it means nothing if your physiological and security needs are not met. That realization opened the way for another. littlefish are social animals. We can only reach the top of the pyramid [[12- The Littlefish Way#Self-Actualization Through Community|through community]]. Self actualization through community actualization. That's the promise of littlefish Foundation. ![[maslow-littlefish.png]] Maslow showed us the end goal. Yet where to begin? ## Enter Ikigai Around the same time we were discussing these ideas and playing with Maslow's pyramid, we found this [Miro template](https://miro.com/miroverse/ikigai/). The image, the meaning, the philosophy behind it immediately resonated with us. We didn't know it yet but it was a match made in heaven. ![[ikigai_template.png]] We put a littlefish badge in the middle and went on our way. This stayed as is on our Miro board for quite some time, until we had the bubbles. ![[ikigai.png|400]] ## Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles On our 2nd visit to Zeytinlikuyu, ideas were flowing once again. With a solid philosophical foundation set, our focus was identifying the practicalities: features, needs, problems, working groups. This was all prep-work for Fund 9. The question in our minds was "How do we go from dream to reality?". Then we made some bubbles to represent each of these ideas. [[Organization Labs]], [[Dream Engine]], and [[Tech Help Collective]] emerged from the bubbles as early working groups. ![[bubbles1a.png]] The number of bubbles quickly expanded and Ikigai found it's way to remind us it was there. ![[bubbles2b.png]] The final version can be found on the [Action board](https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVO7oL1M4=/?moveToWidget=3458764523879319322&cot=14). ![[bubbles3.png]] And why do these bubbles matter? Because **Ikigai + Bubbles is awesomeness**. ![[Ikigai as Onboarding]] ## Sources [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai [2] - https://www.sloww.co/ikigai/ [3] - [Zeytinlikuyu Articles](https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOPNZgXQ=/?moveToWidget=3458764521846441320&cot=14) - The result of the first venture to Zeytinlikuyu by Cem and Cha-Khan