Ikigai: A Japanese concept to improve work and life

This is a very important article, one that should be required reading. I have often thought about this very thing and have concluded that we are no longer as happy as we once were because life is no longer the struggle it once was. Remember, we are descended from people who faced countless challenges to survive. We are born with a very well developed survival instinct but it is no longer needed. That's why I think many people adopt dangerous lifestyles, just for the thrill of surviving self-imposed dangers. One of my favorite stories, The Worm Ouroboros, exemplifies this concept (and I advise you stop reading here if you want to read it for yourself inasmuch as I'm going to give away the ending). The heroes have many adventures overcoming great obstacles including a dragon (The Worm). In the end, a goddess offers them any reward of their choosing and they choose to repeat the adventure, yes, even with all of its dangers because without such a challenge they can't be heroes. Think about that...