Nick celebrates the launch of A Year of Ikigai and read the book’s introduction, separating myth from meaning and showing how purpose lives in daily moments.

Nick shares why Ikigai is felt more than defined, and how small sources of value build a life worth living.

This episode covers:

• what ikigai means in simple, daily terms
• why popular Western takes miss the point
• the problem with the four-circle Venn diagram
• the kanji roots pointing to protection and beauty
• intrinsic values like hope, growth and social ties
• personal journey from Tokyo spark to research
• sources of ikigai across roles, work, hobbies and memory
• ikigai-kan as the felt sense that life is worth living
• book launch timing across regions and preorder

You can actually pre order the book on Amazon, but we hope you find it in your local bookstore

A single fall changed everything. When our guest, life coach and digital nomad Kiki Fukai, crashed into a tree on a routine run, she shattered her skull and—unexpectedly—found a new way to live. What followed wasn’t a quick comeback story. It was a careful rebuild guided by kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending with gold, and a daily practice of acceptance that turned constant pain into a steady reminder to live with intention.

We start with the real texture of nomad life: the rush of open itineraries, the buzz of meeting new friends, and the hidden tax of shallow roots. Kiki names the missing piece as ibasho, the sense of belonging that only grows with time and return. From there, we step into the aftermath of her accident—emergency care, a 14-hour reconstruction, and months of rehab—and the quiet choices that followed: accepting what hurts, honoring what remains, and redefining identity beyond the mirror. Her story grounds big ideas in lived detail, revealing how balance, not bravado, sustains freedom.

Kiki’s coaching grew from that crucible. She shares “turn pain into gift,” her approach shaped by Japanese concepts: ikigai (purpose in everyday living), wabi-sabi (beauty in the imperfect), and the layered language of acceptance—arugamama, ukeiru, uketomeru—that clears the path to action. We also dig into kotodama, the spirit of words, and yoshuku, celebrating future wins in the past tense, as practical tools that shift mindset and momentum. Along the way, Kiki opens up about an amicable divorce rooted in gratitude, a bold rebrand to Kintsugi Kiki, and new creative goals, from a book for Japanese readers to a YouTube channel bringing philosophy to life.

If you’re navigating burnout, rebuilding after a setback, or simply searching for a steadier compass, this conversation offers both language and leverage. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What part of your story could become gold?

Anxiety isn’t a malfunction to be silenced; it’s a message asking to be heard. We sit down with therapist and educator Catherine Deeks Gnocchi to rethink fear through the lenses of evolution, mindfulness-based psychotherapy, and Japanese ikigai—revealing how anxiety can guide you back to your values and toward a life that actually fits.

Catherine breaks down the nervous system in plain language: anxiety mobilizes the sympathetic “protect” response, while empathy and connection restore the parasympathetic “recover” state. We trace how early defenses like fawning or avoidance become adult habits, why shame can freeze growth, and how healthy guilt, curiosity, and self-compassion help us update old patterns.

Catherine shares insights from her research on anxiety and empathy among university students, why these traits can rise together in demanding environments, and how lived experience of suffering often deepens compassion.

From there, we get practical. We map values-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Self-Determination Theory into simple steps: clarify values, spot triggers, name roles, and take small, repeatable actions that honor who you are.

We explore ikigai as everyday meaning—not a grand purpose but a daily feeling found in small rituals, mindful walks, shared meals, and moments of real connection. Ibasho, a sense of belonging you can carry anywhere, becomes the anchor for authenticity across life’s roles. Along the way, two mantras keep us grounded: thoughts are not facts, and anxiety is your friend.

If you’re ready to replace reflex with awareness and turn fear into direction, this conversation offers science, story, and tools you can use today. Listen, share with someone who needs it, and if it resonated, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.