The word Ikigai or “生 き 甲 斐” in Japanese refers to both “the happiness of being busy” and “having a reason to get up in the morning”, a 'raison d'êtré' as the French would say. say. In this book we learn that having an “Ikigai” is one of the key factors that contribute to the longevity of the Okinawans.
It is the combination of IKI, which means life, and KAI, which means hopes and expectations are realized. Ikigai combines the pleasure of doing something and a sense of purpose, meaning and well-being. It is the feeling that your life is valuable, that you have an impact. It is not linked to your status in society or the money you earn.
How do you find your Ikigai?
The book "Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life ”is fun to read. It focuses on Okinawa in Japan, one of the “Blue ZonesWhere people live the longest in the world. The authors interviewed more than 100 Okinawan villagers about their philosophy for a long and happy life and documented their key findings in this book. We learn from the book that having an “Ikigai” is one of the key factors that contribute to the longevity of the Okinawans.
The book is fun and interesting to read, which will likely give you some very useful insights. You can expect the following insights:
Do you feel depressed or frustrated in your life circumstance? This can be good
Existential frustration or a nervous breakdown can occur when someone feels that their life has no purpose.
This can be very positive as it is a catalyst for change. It is a “natural and beneficial phenomenon” that prompts those who suffer from it to change their outcome and thus “find greater satisfaction in life”.
Find your purpose in life, or several
The Okinawans find their Ikigai, or even several.
There is a passion in you, a unique talent that will give you meaning and the Okinawans believe it is your mission to find it.
Found Ikigai? Then look for it calmly and with positivity
The Japanese pursue their passions in life, but always with a sense of calm. They are never in a hurry. The key is to take on a significant challenge, but not so big that it causes stress. They face challenges with a positive outlook and are able to deal with their emotions. They maintain a “stoicAttitude - serenity in the face of adversity.
In contrast, our lifestyle with a lot of stress in the west premature aging of our body. Previous studies have shown that the greater the stress, the greater the degenerative effect on our cells.
One way we can deal with the stress is by filtering our daily life through meditation, mindfulness and yoga.
Your goal should be to spend as much time as possible in a state of flow
The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend more time in a state of flow than others.
"Flow is the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter, the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it." - Csikszentmihalyi
Flow is when we are ultimately focused on the present and fully absorbed in the activity. For example if you are skiing down a hill or if you are cooking and you fully enjoy the entire experience. You enjoy the activity so much that you completely lose all sense of time.
Note that if you cannot achieve “flow” with an activity that you enjoy, it does not necessarily mean that it is not good for you. The book provides very useful insights into how to achieve and maximize your “flow”.
Embrace the boring routine tasks 'microflow'
Our ability to turn routine tasks into moments of microflow, into something we enjoy, is the key to being happy, since we all have to do these tasks anyway.
Have resilience and anti-fragility
Regardless, the Japanese pursue their passion. They never give up. They develop an attitude to stay focused on the important things in life rather than the most pressing ones. And they prevent them from being carried away by negative emotions.
They are flexible and change to achieve their goals - they focus on things they can control and so don't worry about what they can't.
They also embrace anti-vulnerability. This means you have to find a way to get stronger with every hit. Nor do they allow themselves to be open to vulnerability.
Never retire
Having a purpose in life is so important in Japanese culture that the idea of retirement doesn't really exist with them. They remain very active after they "officially" retire.
Don't worry too much if you haven't found your “Ikigai” yet
The key is to track the things you like and filter out the things you don't like. Stay curious and engage with the things that give you the most meaning and happiness in your life. It can be as simple as taking care of a child or helping people who need it and who give you satisfaction.
