My friend loves to say: "Life is too important to be taken seriously". Yeap, that’s right! We all fall into this trap sometimes and forget to enjoy the present moment and to appreciate the life around us. We spend our life looking for answers, when all we need is to enjoy the questions.

We all look for the meaning, but all we find is the power of now.

In other words, finding meaning of life is not your end destination, but rather a process of creating, discovering and re-discovering it in every moment of your existence, while enjoying every single bit of it to the fullest.

So how does it feel to live in the moment with a sense of purpose and clarity on what makes you happy?

I found an answer in a Japanese concept “ikigai” or “reason for being” (iki meaning 'to live' and kai meaning 'worth'). This concept is powered by your everyday meaning and what you truly enjoy. It could be as simple as spending time with your friends or holding a hand of someone you love. And it could be as complicated as sending people to Mars or changing the World’s education system.

No matter what’s your reason to jump out of bed every morning, fuel it with love and dedicate time to explore your ikigai by observing your life mindfully and experimenting courageously.

And if in doubt, just ask yourself these 4 questions:

What do I love?
What am I good at?
What does the World needs?
What can I be paid for?

My name is Anastasia and this Steemit blog will be a reflection of my reasons for everyday happiness: experiences, art and a bit of zen.

1. EXPERIENCES

I often ask myself “What’s the last time I did something for the first time?”. This question drives my passion for new experiences and feeds my curiosity. I explore this world with an open heart, I travel places, I meet people, I experiment and I will never stop.

2. ART

Since I was little I could spend hours drawing and colouring. Art is my hobby and my creativity playground. Making art is my favourite flow state. For me, art speaks where words are unable to explain.

3. ZEN

I explore the world within me through meditation and mindfulness practices. I balance my energy by practicing yoga and tai chi. I study personal growth courses and I enjoy reading good non-fiction. I explore philosophical ideas and I can spend hours in my favourite coffeeshop journaling about some intangible concepts.

I’m new on steemit, but I’m already so grateful for every single one of you reading this! And if ideas this post resonate with you, follow me on this adventure and share your thoughts in the comments.

So what’s your ikigai? What makes to jump out of the bed in the morning? Let’s get to know each other! :)

Zen out,
Anastasia