IKIGAI :
THE JAPANESE SECRET TO LONG AND HAPPY LIFE
HECTOR GARCIA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES
People love to read books of different genres which suits their personality and taste. Many readers read to learn something new because they believe,
"Write to be understood, speak to be heard and read to grow."
Hence, 'self-help' books are popular among a few readers. And the remaining few read these books when they face a challenge in their life. I am in that remaining few who picked 'self-help' books in serious ramifications during the quarantine period. Ikigai, the most popular book was my first choice. To my surprise, I enjoyed reading the book. Obviously, the book didn't solve the problem, although it changed my perspective to look at it. The book doesn't tell any mysterious recipe to live a happy life but merely remind things that we tend to forget in our rat race.
The writers of the book were very fascinated with the Japanese culture and their happily long-living people. Hence, writers interviewed many centenarians. One thing that was common among all was their clear ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese word which literally means a reason we get up in the morning. Ikigai is a combination of words life and to be worthwhile. Ikigai is different for all of us. However, one common thing in people with Ikigai is that we all are searching for meaning. There is no perfect strategy for connecting with our ikigai. But, we should keep discovering until we find it. When we spend our days feeling connected to what is meaningful to us, we live more fully. On the other hand, when we lose connection to it, we feel despair.
The study says that five Blue zones identified where people live the longest life. These blue zones include Okinawa(Japan),Sardinia(Italy),Loma Linda(California),the Nicoya(Peninsula),Ikaria(Greece). The key to longevity is proper diet, exercise, finding a purpose in life and forming strong social ties. That's not new at all, we all knew it already! Why read the book! However, as I said earlier, the purpose of this book is not to reveal any secret but let you rethink, focus and readjust your priorities. The book summaries only ten rules to live a happy and long life. These ten things could be your resolution of next year.
Stay active, Don't retire: Japanese people never retire from work! They try to keep doing what they love for as long as their health allows. If you want to stay busy even when there is no need to work, there has to be an ikigai on your horizon, a purpose that guides you throughout your life. Keep learning new things and keep pushing your limits by stepping outside your comfort zones.
Take it slow: Accept the emotions without trying to control them. Handle it with little care and take it a little slow. If we try to get rid of one wave with another, we end up with an infinite sea. We don't create our feelings; they come to us. We have to accept them. Instead of eliminating symptoms, focus on the present moment. The goal is not to eliminate all the feelings and pleasure from lives but to eliminate negative emotions.
Don't fill your stomach: Japanese people fill their belly only 80%. A little space in the belly quickens the digestive process. Eat right. Include green vegetables and fruits in your plate and serve items on different bowls for the meal. It will give a false impression of extra eating without actually eating.
Surround yourself with good friends: There is a concept in Japanese called Moai. It means an informal group of people with a common interest. Always surround yourself with the people with whom you can share happiness and sorrow. Stay away from toxic people who spread negativity and hold grudges.
Get in shape for your next b'day: There is saying in Japanese, Mens sans in corpore sana- a sound mind in a sound body. Never forget to exercise daily. Exercises like Yoga, Radio taiso and tai chi help bringing body, mind and soul into balance. Both body and mind are connected. Hence, mental health is also equally important. Meditation is necessary for healthier emotion. It helps to know what we can control and what we can't. Meditation is not about keeping the mind free of thoughts. Instead, it involves observing our thoughts and emotions as they appear and getting carried away by them.
Smile: Worry a little less and smile a little broader because 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'."The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for."
Reconnect with nature: Spend time with nature because science proves the influence of nature on our happiness, health and vitality. If you spend more and more time connecting with nature, you are less likely to be depressed.
Give thanks: Instead of having our life's objective to be rich or successful or famous, it should be to reach a state of tranquillity. The tranquillity is the absence of negative feelings such as anxiety, fear, shame, vanity and anger. And, presence of positive vibes such as happiness, love, serenity and the most import gratitude. So never forget to be grateful to every good thing that comes to you.
Live in moments: Ichi-go-Ichi-e is a Japanese idiom. It tells us to focus on the present and enjoy each moment that life brings us kynki kal ho na ho! Wabi-Sabi teaches to focus on the beauty of the fleeting, changeable and imperfect nature of the world around us. Instead of searching beauty in perfection, we should look for it in the things that are flawed and incomplete.
Follow your ikigai: Life is pure imperfection. And the passage of time shows us that everything is fleeting. But, if you have a clear sense of your ikigai, each moment will hold so many possibilities that it will seem almost like an eternity. However, the most important question people ask is how to find ikigai? As I said, there is no defined strategy to find ikigai. However, what makes us enjoy doing something that we forget about worries? When are we happy? These questions can help us to find ikigai. Achieving the state of flow is necessary to discover ikigai and hence happiness.
Having a clear objective is essential in achieving flow, but we also have to know how to leave it behind when we get down to business. Once the journey has begun, we should keep this objective in mind without obsessing over it. Don't worry about the outcome; it will come naturally. Happiness is in the doing, not in the result. Safar khubasurat hai, manzil se bhi!
Life is not a problem to be solved, so stop treating like one. Happiness is not a destination but a way of life. Rember to have something that keeps you busy doing what you love while surrounded by people who love you. Then, there is nothing that can stop you to be happy.
Wish you a happy, healthy and extraordinary new year!
Link to buy the book - Ikigai
