Principles and Values

Inspiration

Inspired by the ­Japanese concept of ‘ikigai’ (which translates to a reason for being) which emphasizes the importance of finding joy and purpose in various elements of our life, I am driven by my sense of purpose to empower others to reach their fullest potential, and to help build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future, for all. That is my ikigai.

Ikigai is not a fixed goal or destination. It is a journey and process that continues to evolve as we grow, learn, and progress in life. In its simplest form, ikigai looks to explain that the purpose of life is found defining the point of intersection between what we love, what we are called to do, what we are meant to do and paid to do.

The concept of ikigai has been something that has interested me in my planning career in recent years ever since I came across the concept during a podcast. I’ve drawn a lot of insights and inspiration from it. It has inspired my leadership practice, particularly in my decision-making regarding my career and my professional development goals to ensure that the decisions I make reflect the principles, values, and goals that I hold dear.

Over the years, two valuable life lessons that I’ve learned are that change is a constant and integral aspect of life and that the present moment is the most important time. I’ve had to go through many ups and downs in my life and work over the past few years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic which has helped me to understand this reality better than before; including losing a friend to cancer. From what life has shown me, there will always be things in life beyond our control.

So rather than investing so much of our time and attention in things we cannot control, we would be far happier by embracing change and prioritizing matters we can influence and that truly matter to us. For me, this means spending quality time with my loved ones, showering my pup, Momo, with tons of love, and supporting causes that are dear to me such as poverty elimination, housing, and homelessness.

Nonetheless, my parents have been an incredible source of inspiration for me in life as well. I feel incredibly thankful for them. They instilled in me the powerful value of gratitude for every opportunity that comes my way in life no matter how small those opportunities might be. I am grateful for their teachings on humility, integrity, respect, honesty and perseverance. Moreover, they’ve also shown me the importance of not taking myself too seriously all the time.

Cherish the ‘now’ and understand that tomorrow is never guaranteed.