What makes you ... you? And how does your purpose influence your impact?

Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being," and it is the foundational element of our work at Oliver+Rose. I truly believe that living and operating in your ikigai not only leads to personal contentment but also maximizes philanthropic impact and cements your legacy. Our mission at Oliver+Rose - amplifying impact and inspiring change - is my ikigai. It is my purpose.

I spent the first few chapters of my career leading philanthropic programming for professional sports organizations - the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers, Special Olympics and the Mountain View Police Activities League. But it wasn't the excitement of gamedays nor the Championship parades I enjoyed most - I loved being in the community with the athletes and watching their eyes light up when they brought smiles to the faces of those in need. I was inspired when they found their voice, shared their story, reflected on their life learnings and related them to others, and helped someone believe in a better tomorrow. Whether it was their goal or desire or not, they were looked upon as heroes and role models - they had a platform. The key was figuring out how they were going to use that platform to maximize their ability to lift others.

Ikigai is found at the center of all things personal and important

Ikigai is the point at the center of four rings, representing the manner through which we can find our purpose. Rings are powerful symbols in cultures around the world. They stand for partnerships, trust, excellence, happiness, the circle of life. But it is typically what is found at the intersection of the rings that bears the most value.

The four distinct questions that make up the outermost layer of the four concentric rings of ikigai are:

• What do you love to do?
• What are you good at?
• What type of service can you provide that is of value?
• What does the world need?

At the center of these concentric rings, we not only discover the manner through which we can maximum our impact but we also find personal joy, inspiration and clarity.

Connecting professional athletes with their philanthropic purpose

Through a lifelong commitment to hard work and dedication to their sport, elite professional athletes earn the unique privilege of icon and influencer status. Their talent gives them exposure and amplifies their voices. As an athlete’s audience grows, so does their ability to make real and sustainable social impact. 

Athlete engagement in the community typically involves:

• Participation in team-organized community events and initiatives
• Contractually-based team corporate partner social responsibility programming (usually for compensation)
• Individual donations to non-profit organizations affiliated with team, ownership, sponsor or teammate-related events
• Hosting a gathering or social event with benefits allocated to a charitable organization

While every moment of impact makes a difference, many of the examples above represent a moment but not a movement. In comparison, involvements aligned with our reason for being - our ikigai - move us, connect us and cause us to dig deeper into our spiritual core. When we practice social impact work aligned with our ikigai, the passion, commitment, and energy are authentic and others are draw to join us in our journey. With professional athletes and influencers, this is where the true magic occurs and where a moment becomes a movement.

Letting ikigai guide philanthropic strategy

I firmly believe that for a professional athlete to achieve lasting social impact, they have to feel connected to the cause they are elevating. They have to feel energized by the cause. They have to see and feel the value of their work to support the cause. They have to be operating in alignment with their ikigai.

The most effective step a professional athlete can take at the start of their impact journey is to proactively and thoughtfully approach their philanthropic strategy, asking themselves a few key questions:

• "Which cause is closest to my heart?"
• "Where, how, when and why can I uniquely influence impact around the cause?"
• "How equipped am I to address this issue?"
• "Why me? Why now?"
• "How will my involvement move others to become involved? Am I lifting the organization or the cause through my affiliation?"

Only this deeply introspective process can result in true social impact that is both personal and purposeful ... and of value to the benefitting organizations, causes or individuals.

As opposed to a calendar invite to a pre-planned event, the journey into philanthropy for athletes should follow this course:

• Athlete meets with a trusted (ideally non-related and/or unbiased) advisor and creates a personal purpose inventory
• Advisor researches, develops and presents recommendations for causes, organizations and platforms, working closely with the athlete to identify resonance, relevance and timeliness
• Athlete develops philanthropic platform in support of selected cause - who, when, how they will support or align with the subject area
• Athlete commits to the selected cause in a purposeful manner, contributing their time, passion, skills, and, where appropriate, their financial resources 

Guiding others on this deeply personal journey to find their ikigai is my ikigai. Join us! Let's work together to build authentic and sustainable social impact strategies building connections between athletes, teams, leagues, governing bodies, entertainers, corporates, government agencies, non-profits and NGOs and opportunities for change.

To learn more and join our efforts, please subscribe to our LinkedIn updates, visit OliverRoseLLC.com, Athletes' Voices, or our pages on IG, Twitter and Facebook.

Joanne Pasternack is the Founder + CEO of Oliver+Rose, a strategic consulting firm that brings brands, leagues, athletes and charitable organizations together to create personally meaningful and purposeful social impact.

Learn more about our favorite photographer - Terrell Lloyd - who lives his ikigai and captures the moments where athletes find theirs at @49ersofficialphotog