“2 Americanos, please.”

“Anything else?”

“No ma’am.”

“Would you like those in to-go cups or ceramic mugs for here?”

“You guys have ceramic mugs!?”

“Yeah we do.”

“For here, please”

Giddy. I sat down in a cozy little leather chair at the Starbucks waiting for my friend to arrive.

And I’m oddly excited about these new ceramic mugs Starbucks has haha.

My buddy pulls up through the door and puts his bag down in the leather chair next to me.

“Got you an Americano bro.”

“You’re a saint, my guy. Since when did they have mugs?”

“Right!?”

“Can we talk about these mugs?”

“Haha we’re the freaking same.”

We chit chat for a little bit and then he tells me about this book he’s writing.

“Okay okay… I wanna pick your brain cause obviously you’re a writer.”

(That would be an understatement but go on LOL)

“So I’ve got this book idea for helping creative people find their thing.

“Uh huh.”

“Like their career and purpose.”

“Right.”

“And I’ve got this framework that I think is killer.”

“What is it?”

“Okay so it’s basically this - it’s a 3-circle diagram with passion, profit & proficiency.”

“Ahhhh… you’re missing one.”

“What?”

“Yeah bro, this 100% exists. It’s called Ikigai. It’s an old Japanese concept.”

“You’re lying.”

“Would I lie to you why holding this beautiful ceramic mug!?”

“Show me.”

​

Haha!

​

He wouldn’t believe me, so I pulled up my phone on the Ikigai diagram and basically blew his entire book idea up.

“This is my exact concept BUT BETTER!”

“Correct, you should read this book haha.”

Candidly, I was pretty blown away that he had not come across Ikigai yet, and then I figured…

Wait a minute...

I bet some of my prestigious subscribers have yet to embellish their minds in the ways of the Japanese.

So let me indulge you.

Ikigai literally means ‘Joyful Purpose.’

It’s the Japanese secret to how their people are living to like 95 and practically never retire.

Because they’ve found their life’s purpose and are sustained by pure joy in their work.

​

Amazing, right?!

​

Well I bet your wondering - El Copy Goat, how do I find this!?

He’s their exact framework - you have to have all FOUR of these:

1. What you LOVE
2. What the world NEEDS
3. What you’re GOOD AT
4. What you can be PAID FOR

​

Start writing things that can go in each column and then find the very few thing(s) that are in all four columns.

For me, it’s obvious.

I love writing copy.

I’m hella good at it.

I get can get mucho paid for it and the worlds needs it.

(P.S. It took me 10 years to find copywriting so don’t beat yourself up.)

But maybe copywriting is your thing as well.

Or maybe you’re just now realizing it doesn’t hit all four for you.

Either way, as a human, I think it’s important you go through this process to truly know.

You can grab the Ikigai book here.​

Enjoy!

Your copywriting friend,

Alin “Loves Writing” Dragu