Ikigai & Communication Flow (The Sweet Spot)

Hope can feel like it is in short supply at the moment, but I regularly find it through the inspiring people I get to coach. 

Recently I have been working with a climate educator in primary school education, an ethical finance founder helping systemic climate solutions get the funding they need to scale, and most recently a social change facilitator tackling regional poverty and inequality.

The thing that ties them, and even me, all together is that we have all found our Ikigai.

If you aren’t familiar with this beautiful Japanese inspired concept, which translates to ‘A reason for being’, then here is a pocket summary. (It is important to note that the original version was not necessarily connected to economics. It is the popularised Western version that I am referring to here.)

Ikigai is the convergence of four primary elements: 1️⃣ what you love (your passion), 2️⃣ what the world needs (your mission), 3️⃣ what you are good at (your vocation), and 4️⃣ what you can get paid for (your profession). As an entrepreneur this graphic shows how easily you can be almost in your Ikigai, but not quite there yet.  

Toronto Star Graphic

A while back I noticed a connection between Ikigai and communication flow. 

According to Noriyuki Nakanishi of Osaka University Ikigai “...reflects the inner self of an individual and expresses that faithfully. It establishes a unique mental world in which the individual can feel at ease."

Communication flow occurs when you have congruence between 1️⃣ who you are, 2️⃣ what you believe in, 3️⃣ the impact or influence you want to make, and 4️⃣ how you communicate that. 

As you can see there is a clear overlap, and it all centres around purpose. Just like Ikigai, anyone can experience communication flow. It is not a gift, but a set of choices that bring you into the sweet spot where you naturally flow. 

If Ikigai is ‘a reason for being’, then communication flow is ‘a way of being’. 

For my purpose-driven clients their communication flow kicks in as soon as they get out of their heads and into their bodies, and connect deeply with what drives them to speak up in the first place.

Recently I coached someone to give a talk. There was A LOT riding on this, over £1m of funding, and they were “dreading it”. We didn’t have time to fit in a session before the big day, so I coached her via my back-pocket whatsapp coaching service. This is something all my 1-1 clients get on the go between coaching sessions.

First I shared a guided meditation that helped her connect to her deepest sense of purpose in her work. Then we worked on the structure of the talk. Finally I reminded her that nerves are the same sensation to the body as excitement, thus it is the story we tell ourselves that determines how we feel in the moment. 

She went on to deliver a stellar talk, and she got amazing feedback that she was ‘inspiring, exciting, and passionate.’ This is the power of communication flow!

What has always driven me to help people communicate better is people’s souls. When I started out (over 15 years ago), it was to bolster someone’s conference to be more themselves, to get that promotion, or to deliver a speech. 

These days I am driven to support passionate, caring, and ambitious people tell their story and share their vision for our thriving collection future with clarity, integrity, and energy. 

I know the grind is tough, and the overwhelm is real! Doing your most meaningful work is not just a job, it’s a calling. You don’t just have to speak up, you feel compelled to talk more about your thing. 

You want to make a difference and you know that being heard by the right people will achieve that. 

When your communication flows from this deeper place it has a different quality. It requires you to drop the mask and share more of who they actually are, and what you actually care about. 

There is something more honest in these moments. There is something more vulnerable in the connection. And ultimately, there is something more memorable about these conversations.

When you infuse honesty, vulnerability, and memorability with the potent quality of actually giving a s**t you have a recipe for standing out amongst all the noise. 

Shape your industry, inspire your community, and truly change things. 

My desire to contribute to a thriving collective future is what motivates me to work with people like you, and with my current amazing clients. You are all speaking up for something greater than yourselves, and that is so powerful! 

Your message for change can be like a bird's call at dawn. Something at once tenderly striking, quietly grounding, and reassuringly inspiring.

This is not a battle-cry, it is a soul-calling. 

Flow reduces the overwhelm and exhaustion of creating change in society. And hope lives in the meaningful actions we take towards a better future.

Speaking up for something greater than yourself is where your communication flow lives. What do you want to speak up for and how can I help you flow more?

The Speaking Flow State

An intuitive 3-part practice

So you speak with CLARITY, INTEGRITY and ENERGY - every time! 

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