In this episode I talk with Ikigai facilitator and coach Jennifer Shinkai about my acronym for flow: freedom, leisure, optimism, and wonder. Over the next couple of shows, I’ll be talking with Jennifer Shinkai, an Ikigai facilitator, and coach. Originally from the UK, Jennifer has been living and working in Japan for over 20 years. As a facilitator and coach for global corporate clients, she focuses on building inclusion and discovering ikigai in the workplace. As well as running her own business, she's a mother of two kids, a runner, a podcaster, the founder of a thriving online community for entrepreneurs, and a lover of the creative arts: theatre, literature, and art. Freedom – Being an entrepreneur she gets to choose the projects she wants to work on and choose the people who she wants to work with. That variety and autonomy help her with flow each day. Leisure – Rereading the works of Shakespear in a Shakespear book club. She also does a weekly art class for kids. There is no pressure as she’s taking the class online with kids. It helps her pop into flow state. Optimism – With hopefulness, it’s hoping something will change and something good will come from it. She is always optimistic about people, hoping they will surprise her in great new ways. Wonder – She enjoys the feeling of wonder. It’s awe. Live performances, workshops with people. Always being inquisitive about how something was made or how someone came up with the idea to build or start something. People are creative and it’s interesting to see how human beings can make something from nothing. Also, asking the “What if?” question. What if this happened, or what if we tried it this way? Always being open to asking the "What if?" question keeps the door open for trying and implementing new ways of doing things. So how will you answer the acronym for flow? What is an area of your work/life where you experience freedom? What is something you do for leisure or just pure enjoyment? What is something you are optimistic about? What is something recently that brought about that feeling of wonder? Have a think about the FLOW acronym and I’ll talk to you soon. Connect with Jennifer Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/ Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzhMsnrS6JkrFDVvf7PIQFQ Podcasts (Apple/ Spotify/ Google/ Stitcher) https://ikigai-with-jennifer-shinkai.captivate.fm/listen Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ikigaiwithjennifershinkai/ Can Giraffes Swim? Have you ever wondered if giraffes can swim? Follow the adventures of Georgie, a Tokyo zoo giraffe, who travels to Australia in lockdown.