IKIGAI - The Japanese Secret To A Long And Happy Life

Recently I read a book named IKIGAI - The Japanese secret to a long and happy life by Hector Garcia, Francesc Miralles. This book changed my viewpoint on life.

According to this Japanese book, everyone has an IKIGAI ( a reason for living ). Japanese dictionary doesn't have a word that means retire in the sense it does in English. As we all know, Japan has the lowest crime rate, the world's longest-living people, the highest 100-year-olds - one of the world's blue zones. All these depend on many factors from which one is the IKIGAI. And finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. The places where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect - means that each day is infused with meaning, that's what IKIGAI is. It's the reason we get up in the morning. It's the reason many Japanese never really retire. They enjoy the work and remain active throughout their life because they've found a real purpose in life - the happiness of always being busy. IKIGAI discloses the secrets to their happiness and longevity; how they move, how they eat, how they work, how they foster community and collaboration.

Now I will tell you how you can find your reason for living by answering 4 simple questions. Take a page and divide it into 4 sections like this:

Question 1: What do you love?

Suggestions for answer: (i) What have you never get bored of?

                                      (ii) What's something you've always been drawn back to do overtime?

                                     (iii) What gets you in the flow? (that you forget to eat or drink when you do it)

Question 2: What you are good at?

Suggestions for answer: (i) What skills have you been spending time in practice?

                                      (ii) What do people look to you for help with?

                                     (iii) Is there anything you want to be good at?

Question 3: What you can be paid for?

Suggestions for answer: (i) What have you been paid for before?

                                      (ii) What would you be doing if you're not in your current job?

                                     (iii) What do you want to get paid for?

  

Question 4: What the world needs?

Suggestions for answer: (i) How are the people like, what do they need? 

                                      (ii) How can you contribute to creating a positive effect on those around you?

If your answer to each question agrees to at least one suggestion, then it's the right one.

Now the common answer to these 4 questions is yours IKIGAI (A reason for being).

You can also replace these 4 questions with 

1. Passion (Strong emotion of doing something)

2. Mission (an important goal or purpose that is accompanied by strong conviction)

3. Profession (your occupation)

4. Vocation (a type of work or a way of life that you believe to be especially suitable for you)

Don't worry if you didn't find one, it takes days, months to get the answer. Just work on yourself and one day you will find your reason for being. The IKIGAI will make you happy, motivated, and free from stress and tensions.

If you want to buy this book click on the link below:
Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life