It was a delight to talk to Robin Lewis about how he moved from inspiration to action to integrate his ikigai and purpose around sustainable living. He talks candidly about the challenges of being so engrossed in your ikigai that you fail to look after yourself, finding an ikigai partner, about being an intrapreneur or volunteering as a way to bring even more fulfilment into your day.
We also talk about home karaoke, the Princess Bride and a future career as a snowboarder.
Robin has 10 years of experience working in the fields of social impact and sustainable development, including as a consultant at the World Bank, and has led humanitarian operations in countries including Haiti, Nepal, and Mozambique. He is the Co-founder of mymizu, an award-winning initiative to tackle plastic waste, and is the Representative Director of Social Innovation Japan, a platform for social good. In 2017, he took on a sponsored expedition, walking 600+km along Japan’s disaster-affected coastline to document the recovery from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. Robin is a Board Member of the Shibuya QWS Innovation Council, a TEDx Speaker, and graduated with an M.A. in International Business.
Where to find Robin
www.mymizu.co
Social Media
@mymizu.co (IG/FB)
@robinlewisphotography (IG)
@robintlewis (twitter)
@Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlewis88/
Shownotes
3:30 The experience that raised Robin’s awareness around the need for reducing plastic waste
4:30 moving from “Somebody should” to “I will”
6:30 Fall in Love with the problem was from John Saddington Blog: john.do
8:45 Sharing your ikigai with others - the value of a partner in your quest
10:13 Starting small
10:42 Moving to Hakuba and the perils of an all encompassing ikigai
12:45 Learning from negative experiences
14:00 My plans for home karaoke
16:16 Unconscious processing”
https://jennifershinkai.com/2020/01/07/need-inspiration-pop-to-the-loo/
17:08 Revenge as Ikigai learnings from the Princess Bride
"Inigo Montoya:
Is very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
Westley:
Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts."
18:41 How Ikigai shifts
22:04 The 3.5% rule
22:39 How volunteering may be a way to integrate your ikigai
26:08 Be an intrapreneur to integrate your ikigai
28:43 Listen to the nagging voice and take action
30:42 dealing with challenges and building a morning routine
32:52 A book he was “semi forced” to read
Max Frenzel and John Fitch Time Off https://amzn.to/35E6KMA (Amazon Affiliate Link - support my reading habit!)
34:20 Talking about the Ikigai venn diagram’s origins and how we can use it
38:09 Robin imagines his sliding doors moment where he does not take a walk along the beach
39:36 How to get in touch