In Japanese, there's a wonderful word: ikigai. It's kind of like your reason for living, but not in some huge existential sense — more in a grounded, everyday way. A source of inner energy, a source of joy. Basically, the thing that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.

A person can have several of those anchors, and they're different for everyone. Coffee, a cat, a craft you love, taking care of the people close to you, a garden, walks, video games...

Anyway, that's what got me thinking. I stumbled across a channel called "Alyoshkino Svoe". From what I understand, the guy behind it is a lawyer from St. Petersburg who breeds fancy chickens and regularly posts videos about specific breeds, incubation details, feeding, and so on.

I'm not into birds at all, but I caught myself just sitting there for twenty minutes, completely mesmerized, listening without looking away. It almost works like therapy, honestly. And it struck me that this is actually a pretty solid kind of ikigai: something you'll love the way this guy loves his chickens.