What if you could combine the joy from doing something and a sense of purpose? A way of feeling that your life is valuable, that you have an impact regardless of your age or social status.

Today's guest's lifework shows the great power of connecting passion with purpose. He excels at using his gifts and talents to make a lasting impact on those around him and believes that embracing our uniqueness is the path to find meaning in life.

William Reed is a Japanologist and Renaissance Samurai who has spent the last 48 years living in Japan and pursuing his passion for Japanese culture. He is a bilingual professor at the International College of Liberal Arts located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, has an 8th-degree black belt in Aikido, and a 10th-degree rank in brush calligraphy and regularly appears on Japanese television, Samurai documentaries, and radio.

This episode is truly fascinating as we dive deep into the meaning of Ikigai and how this concept can help you live more intentionally.

We talk about Shodō or calligraphy as a way of life, the importance of lifelong learning, how to maintain youthfulness and energy, how he pivoted from in-person to remote teaching, and the online courses he has created as a result of the changes the world is experiencing.

Since the COVID-19 Crisis forced many people to rethink the way that they do business, in the past 4 months, Will has not only successfully shifted his business online, but has created new opportunities and products in the process.

In some ways because of the crisis, he found the focus to bring all of the elements of his IKIGAI to the same place.


Things you will learn in this episode:

• What Ikigai is and how it shows up in Japanese life and culture
• How to turn a negative experience into positive life lessons.
• What Shumi is.
• The relationship between Shumi and Ikigai.
• What a Renaissance Samurai is.
• How Will pivoted 100% to teaching university classes online, including Calligraphy and Aikido.
• How he repurposed his course content for global online courses and executive coaching.
• How he refocused his top passion of Brush Calligraphy as a path to experience perpetual youth and longevity, creating an alternative narrative to mentally and socially destructive social media.

3 online programs through which you can engage in this process:

•  A Taste of Zen: Meet the Tea Master
• Nanba Dynamics for Artists and Musicians
• Legendary Storytelling for Your Ikigai

Connect with Will:
Website - http://www.samurai-walk.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/will.reed
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/taproot55/WilliamReed
Pick my brain - https://www.pickmybrain.world/profiles/william-reed

Connect with the show:
Instagram - @ikigaia_
Website - https://www.ikigaia.co/
Join the Facebook community of purpose driven-people! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/remoteworkresource

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The power of Aikido - https://amzn.to/31mjs0T
Nanba Dynamics - https://nanba-dynamics.mykajabi.com/opt-in
GeniusU - https://www.geniusu.com/