Ikigai

Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles is book which talks about finding your purpose and then following it with all heart to live a happy and satisfying life. Ikigai explains how you can live a longer and happier life by having a purpose, eating healthy, and not retiring. The authors take us in this search along with them and make us understand how people of Japan have been living a long and a happy life. The book suggests that more time, energy, and attention should be given to working passionately, adding value to people’s lives with the work you want so that you also work on your passion and people’s problems should be solved.

Pic: Twitter @librarymindset

You can find you Ikigai using the Four square technique.  

Draw a big square. Divide it in four equal parts.

# In the first square write what you love doing. It can be anything that makes you feel good; something that you would willingly do anytime.

# In the second square write what you are good at. It can be something that you naturally excel at, or a skill that you’ve spent years to perfect.

# In the third square write what you can get paid for. It’s not enough that you just love what you do or that you are good at it. It also matters that you are properly compensated for it so as to take care of life needs.

# In the fourth square write what the world needs. Knowing that what we do helps make the world we live in a better place helps us feel good, and gives a sense of achievement.

Now analyze the four squares and try to find out an activity that is common to all the four squares. This activity is your Ikigai or the purpose of life.

Pic: http://www.kanbanzone.com

Highlights:

[Reproduced from the Epilogue of the book]

1. Stay active; don’t retire. Those who give up the things they love doing and do well lose their purpose in life. That’s why it’s so important to keep doing things of value, making progress, bringing beauty or utility to others, helping out, and shaping the world around you, even after your “official ” professional activity has ended.

2. Take it slow. Being in a hurry is inversely proportional to quality of life. As the old saying goes, “Walk slowly and you’ll go far.” When we leave urgency behind, life and time take on new meaning.

3. Don’t fill your stomach. Less is more when it comes to eating for long life, too. According to the 80 percent rule, in order to stay healthier longer, we should eat a little less than our hunger demands instead of stuffing ourselves.

4. Surround yourself with good friends. Friends are the best medicine, there for confiding worries over a good chat, sharing stories that brighten your day, getting advice, having fun, dreaming etc. -in other words, living.

5. Get in shape for your next birthday. Water moves; it is at its best when it flows fresh and doesn’t stagnate. The body you move through life in needs a bit of daily maintenance to keep it running for a long time. Plus, exercise releases hormones that make us feel happy.

6. Smile. A cheerful attitude is not only relaxing- it also helps make friends. It’s good to recognize the things that aren’t so great, but we should never forget what a privilege it is to be in the here and now in a world so full of possibilities.

7. Reconnect with nature. Though most people live in cities these days, human beings are made to be part of the natural world. We should return to it often to recharge our batteries.

8. Give thanks. To your ancestors, to nature, which provides you with the air you breathe and the food you eat, to your friends and family, to everything that brightens your days and makes you feel lucky to be alive. Spend a moment every day giving thanks, and you’ll watch your stockpile of happiness grow.

9. Live in the moment. Stop regretting the past and fearing the future. Today is all you have. Make the most of it. Make it worth remembering.

10. Follow your Ikigai. There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don’t know what your Ikigai is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, your mission is to discover it.

Additional points:

1. Ikigai is a Japanese word that means – the reason for being, a reason to be alive. Purpose of life. The reason for your coming into the world.

2. Having a purpose is a vital component of longevity and happiness. One who has a ‘why’ to live for can bear with almost any ‘how’.

3. A wise person should not ignore life’s pleasures. A wise person can live with these pleasures but should always remain conscious of how easy it is to be enslaved by them.

4. If you want to live a long life, follow the advice of some of the oldest people in the world. Elders have a lot of wisdom to share with the world from their years of experience.

5. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

6. Whatever work you do, having focus brings flow to your work so that you can do that work very quickly and without getting tired. Choose hard work and have a clear objective.

7. Stress and depression are the enemies of longevity. Therefore, stress should always be avoided to lead a happy life.

8. Japanese artisans, engineers, Zen philosophy, and cuisine have something in common: Simplicity and attention to detail.

9. One of the most common mistakes among people starting to meditate is worrying about doing it ‘right’, achieving absolute mental silence, or reaching ‘nirvana.’ The most important thing is to focus on the journey.

10. Secrets to a long life are- Don’t worry. Cultivate good habits. Nurture your friendships. Live an incomplete, peaceful life. Be optimistic.

मराठी लेख:

https://abhijitraut10.wordpress.com/2023/12/03/ikigai-marathi/

References:

Twitter @librarymindset

http://www.readersbooksclub.com

http://www.fourminutebooks.com

http://www.kanbanzone.com