Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
- By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
Genre - Self-Help, Non-Fiction, Philosophy
Rating - 5/5
Pages - 208
The people of Japan believe that everyone has an ikigai – a reason to jump out of bed each morning. And according to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa – the world’s longest-living people – finding it is the key to a longer and more fulfilled life. Inspiring and comforting, this book will give you the life-changing tools to uncover your personal ikigai. It will show you how to leave urgency behind, find your purpose, nurture friendships, and throw yourself into your passions. This book means so much to me. I'm more into fictional books but this is the book that gave so much information to me and I enjoyed reading it. The authors define ikigai and the rules of ikigai—they conducted a total of one hundred interviews in Ogimi, Okinawa to try to understand the longevity secrets of centenarians and supercentenarians. “The authors of this book wish you a long, happy, and purposeful life.”
What is Ikigai?
In Japanese, ikigai is written by combining the symbols that mean “life” with “to be worthwhile.”
“Translates roughly as ‘the happiness of always being busy.'” (Note: I believe they mean “busy” in the sense of living a full life vs busy life).
Our ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and finding it requires a patient search. According to those born on Okinawa, the island with the most centenarians in the world, our ikigai is the reason we get up in the morning.
The idea of ikigai has given me a broader version of living life. Living Life in a healthy and beautiful manner is the most important aspect of the future. This aspect was graciously explained by the authors of this book. Once you discover your ikigai, pursuing it and nurturing it every day will bring meaning to your life. One thing that everyone with a clearly defined ikigai has in common is that they pursue their passion no matter what.
The 10 Rules of Ikigai
- Stay active; don’t retire.
- Take it slow.
- Don’t fill your stomach.
- Surround yourself with good friends.
- Get in shape for your next birthday.
- Smile.
- Reconnect with nature.
- Give thanks.
- Live in the moment.
- Follow your ikigai.
This book has helped me to overcome stress and anxiety. Nowadays people are so career and future-oriented that they forget to live in the moment. The book taught me various new techniques and new words. Like Morita therapy, Many Western forms of therapy focus on controlling or modifying the patient’s emotions. In the West, we tend to believe that what we think influences how we feel, which in turn influences how we act. In contrast, Morita therapy focuses on teaching patients to accept their emotions without trying to control them, since their feelings will change as a result of their actions.
It also helped me to find my flow. We realized right away that time seems to have stopped there, as though the entire town were living in an endless here and now. The life of Okinawans is the best.
The book is small and easy to read. The chapters are well constructed, and it doesn’t complicate the concept. What is significant is the insight into the Japanese culture, lifestyle, and facts that would be impossible for a layman to be able to get on their own. In the end, I wish all my readers find their ikigai and have a happy long life.
Thank You For Staying Up Till The Last.
Bye And Take Care.
The most informative blog I have ever read. The blog covers all the important information. As a reader I was searching for some good non fictional book. Keep writing such informative blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you 🩷🫰🏻
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