Ikigai

I was listening to a TED presentation about old people and longevity and happily predicted that one of the places where people lived the longest was in Japan. Then the speaker mentioned a word- "ikigai." This is the concept of "why I get up in the morning" or "what makes life worth living." This intrigued me because since January 1 this year I've written on a calendar at least one thing I did every day that made it worth getting up that morning. It is kind of an experiment in slowing down time (specifically, not living for the weekends or for vacations because they are over too soon). Now these are not an ikigai exactly, since they are scattered little things and not a huge purpose, but the effect is similar, I believe.
Things I have written range from as simple as eating a yummy rice cake to as complex as an encounter with a stranger, or from as terrible as running into the garage door frame with the car to as wonderful as a beautiful breezy night. It also includes random things that made my day such as crushing an egg or singing terrible opera on the way home with my siblings.
But when it comes to ikigai as a more specific "meaning to life" I don't know that I can quite put it into words. I want to live because God gave me life, and as for a purpose or calling, I think that is to make art and media that is wholesome and brilliant.

What do you have to live for? What's your ikigai?

(By the way, if you think life is rushing by you too fast, I'd suggest my little calendar experiment. If you make sure you do something every day that makes the day worth it, you focus less on "On Saturday I won't have school" and more on "Dude, I threw a milk jug at a tree today, isn't that awesome?" Also, when you look back there isn't a feeling of "Wasn't it just January? Why is February almost over?" and more like "I've done at least 31+21=52 awesome things so far this year!")