IKIGAI

By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

Released : 20/02/2021
Reviewed : 08/02/2021
Reviewed by : Tourlin Thokchom

IKIGAI The Japanese Secret to a Long And Happy Life

Greetings to all! Hope everyone had an amazing busy January with your exciting New Year’s Resolution, 2021. For me, I dived into another self-help book which turned out to be fantastic and I decided to share my experience with you all in MitSna’s Book Corner. If you’re inspired by the Japanese culture, this book is for you! It’ll be really helpful and will add values to your lives too if you can digest it thoroughly and follow it.IKIGAI The Japanese Secret to a Long And Happy Life is a self-help book written by Héctor García (a former software engineer) and Francesc Miralles (award-winning author) which was originally Published on April, 2016. Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years, this Japanese proverb in the intro excites me and no doubt, it’s one of the best books that teach us the art of living with special emphasis on staying young while getting old. Ikigai is a Japanese concept which is translated as the happiness of always being busy. This book clearly explains the secrets of extraordinary longevity of the Japanese especially on the island of Okinawa and gives us the tools to find our own ikigai. It teaches us the importance of being busy with one’s passion and enjoying the present now instead of worrying, knowing that nothing is permanent including sad or happy moments. In addition to theoretical knowledge, it gives us an insight of practical living examples like interviews with 100 Centenarians and Super Centenarians of Ogimi, Okinawa a.k.a. the first place among the world’s Blue Zones. From this book, one can learn how the keys to longevity are diet, exercise, finding a purpose in life (a.k.a. ikigai) and forming strong social ties. A phrase which became very familiar with me after reading this book is Hara hachi bu (fill your belly to 80 percent) because I’ve been practicing it unknowingly and now I feel grateful to this book for making me aware of its importance in one\’s longevity. The book portrays that for many Okinawans, helping others might be an ikigai strong enough to keep them alive. Another term that fascinates me is Moai (an informal group of people), whose working principle is very similar to Marup in context of Manipur and it’s reported to increase the life expectancy of Okinawans. You’ll be absolutely surprised to learn that this island of nearly eternal life is located precisely in Okinawa, where two hundred thousand innocent lives were lost at the end of World War II. It’s quite impressive to learn how the Okinawans are able to treat everyone like a brother, even if they’ve never met them before. Antiaging Secrets, Find Flow in Everything You Do, Lessons from JAPAN’S centenarians, Gentle Movements, Longer Life, Resilience And Wabi-Sabi, etc. are some of the best chapters in this book.10 rules of ikigai:

1. Stay active;don’t retire.

2.Take it slow.

3.Don’t fill your stomach.

4. Surround yourself with good friends.

5. Get in shape for your next birthday.

6. Smile.

7.Reconnect with nature.

8.Give thanks.

9.Live in the moment.

10.Follow your ikigai.

Our ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us and finding it requires a patient search. Our intuition and curiosity are very powerful internal compasses to help us connect with our ikigai. So don’t you want to learn more about the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life and discover your ikigai?