From Shinto and Buddhism to the martial arts and cultural landscapes, Japan is steeped in ancient wisdom.

After reading Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa last year, I became entranced with Japanese philosophies and outlooks. They offer a stark contrast to Western ideals and provide a useful way of interacting with an increasingly complex world.

If you’re never going to read Musashi, listen to Jocko Podcast 100 w/ Tim Ferriss — Musashi, Warrior Code and Life. But if you plan to read the book, this podcast is a spoiler.

I also compiled My Top 10 Musashi Quotes which are worth a skim (these lines give me goosebumps).

I’m learning to live by these seven principles (especially #4… a weakness of mine) and enjoying the fresh perspective they bring into my life.

Principle #1: Ikigai

Iki = life/alive, gai = a meaning for

Ikigai is your raison d'être, your reason or justification for existence.

It’s why you wake up in the morning, the motivating force that gives you a sense of purpose and reason for living. Ikigai sits at the intersection of four criteria:

1. Do what you love.

2. Do what you’re good at.

3. Do what the world needs.

4. Do what you can be paid for.

Principle #2: Kaizen

Kai = change, zen = good

Kaizen means to strive for constant and never-ending improvement. 

By focusing on small improvements, you can become 1% better every day. Small daily wins stack up and compound exponentially over time. Whether it’s strong investing habits, a daily exercise practice, or sharpening a career skill, small efforts repeated consistently build massive results in the long run.

But more importantly than any outcome kaizen can help us achieve, a focus on constant improvement shifts our focus off the outcome and onto the process. The richest and most joyous moments of our lives — relationships, fitness, career, art, and hobbies — exist in the process.

An outcome is a fleeting moment we often fail to savor before setting our ambitions on the next goal.

The process is life.

Principle #3: Shoshin

Sho = beginner, shin = mind

“If your mind is empty… it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.” 

— Shunryu Suzuki in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind 

Shoshin is beginner’s mind.

Experts who succumb to closed-mindedness and hubris are at a disadvantage compared to those who can maintain an attitude of openness and eagerness and drop any preconceptions or expectations.