We are delighted to review this months, ‘Ikigal, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’

We all have an ikigai. Even if we don’t know it yet.

Ikigai translates as ‘a reason to live’ or ‘a reason to jump out of bed in the morning’. It’s the place where your needs, desires, ambitions, and satisfaction meet: a point of perfect balance, and perfect fulfilment.

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live longer than anywhere else in the world. There, finding your ikigai is considered the key to longevity – and to happiness. The Okinawans know that all lives are valuable; for them, your ikigai is the lens that will help bring your value into focus.

Both inspiring and comforting, this book will help you uncover your own ikigai, and equip you to change your life. Leave stress and urgency behind, and throw yourself into finding your purpose, nurturing your friendships, and pursuing your passions.

Make every day of your life joyful and meaningful with Ikigai.

The book touches on the various aspects of life which can help us achieve a long happy life. It is based on the ancient, well practised Japanese technique called:

IKIGAI.

If you google the word, you will get various meanings like

A reason for being, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being or

The word derives from iki, meaning life and kai, meaning the realisation of hopes and expectations.

But the one I liked the most is — A reason to jump out of bed each morning!

This book draws a lot of references from an island in Japan called — Okinawa where there 24.5 inhabitants of age more 100 for every 1,00,000 people.

It helps you discover the meaning of your life, finding flow in everything that you do and concludes with Wabi Sabi - This technique talks about finding beauty in imperfect, incomplete things. Here, flawed is preferred over perfection. The Japanese believe that only imperfect, incomplete and ephemeral things are beautiful because they resemble the nature.

Both inspiring and comforting, this book will help you uncover your own ikigai, and equip you to change your life. Leave stress and urgency behind, and throw yourself into finding your purpose, nurturing your friendships, and pursuing your passions.

Make every day of your life joyful and meaningful with Ikigai.  

This you tube video also shares the concept;