Some call it Ikigai, for some it is just their Sweet spot in life. The meaning is practically the same and it roughly translates to “reason for being.”
The origin of Ikigai comes from the Japanese island of Okinawa. It is said to be the home to the largest population of centenarians in the world. Okinawa is also a hotbed of this ideology. Here the mild weather, healthy diet, and low level of stress are also factors, but it’s the island’s active population of non-retiring, purpose-driven residents that links them to other long-living communities in Sardinia, Italy, and Icaria, Greece.
Why is this book worth reading
Ikigai (pronounced “eye-ka-guy”) is, above all else, a lifestyle that strives to balance the spiritual with the practical. This interesting self-development concept from Japan is a prism for potentially seeing how to bring satisfaction, happiness & meaning to life. The direct translation is the “happiness of being busy.”
Our Ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and finding it requires a patient search. According to those born on Okinawa, the island with the most centenarians in the world, our ikigai is “the reason we get up in the morning.”
It is seen as the convergence of four primary elements:
- What you love (your passion)
- What the world needs (your mission)
- What you are good at (your vocation)
- What you can get paid for (your profession)
This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.
Want to find your Ikigai?
Ask yourself the following four questions:
- What do I love?
- What am I good at?
- What can I be paid for now — or something that could transform into my future hustle?
- What does the world need?
In their book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles break down the ten rules that can help anyone find their own ikigai.
- Stay active and don’t retire
- Leave urgency behind and adopt a slower pace of life
- Only eat until you are 80 percent full
- Surround yourself with good friends
- Get in shape through daily, gentle exercise
- Smile and acknowledge people around you
- Reconnect with nature
- Give thanks to anything that brightens our day and makes us feel alive.
- Live in the moment
- Follow your ikigai
What is the one simple thing you could do or be today that would be an expression of your ikigai?
Intrigued? Read the book – you can also borrow it from our CorpoHub library and let us know, what do you think about it.
