IKIGAI

Ikigai’ is a book authored by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. The purpose of this book is to help you find your Ikigai, and to share insights from Japanese philosophy on the lasting health of body, mind and spirit.

In this note, we summarise the key ideas and actions presented in the book. These include :

– What is Ikigai ?
– Knowing Your Ikigai
– Ikigai and Longevity
– Antiaging Secrets
– How to Face Life’s Challenges
– Summarised – The 10 Rules of Ikigai

What is Ikigai ?

Ikigai is the reason for your being. ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Ikigai means your purpose in life, which makes you wake up everyday. Having a clearly defined ikigai brings satisfaction, happiness, and meaning to our lives.

Ikigai is illustrated in four overlapping circles, as in a Venn Diagram which talks about a synthesis of:

• What you love to do.
• What you are good at.
• What the world needs.
• What you can be paid for

Knowing Your Ikigai

To know what your Ikigai is, make a list of the following three things –
• Your values
• Things you like to do
• Things you are good at

The cross-section or overlap of these three lists, is your Ikigai, something you should do for the rest of your life.

Happiness is in the act of doing, not the result.

Ikigai and Longevity
The keys to longevity are diet, exercise, finding a purpose in life (an Ikigai), broad circle of friends, and good family relations.

Ikigai: Everyday Life and not Lifetime

The concept of Ikigai aligns with everyday life, as opposed to a lifetime. It makes us appreciate our daily life, celebrating it, and experiencing the small joys of living. Ikigai is the reason you wake up in the morning for, that thing you live for, daily. Whatever you do, don’t retire. Keep your heart young. Smile. Live an unhurried life. Show respect for nature.

Diet & “Hara hachi bu” – The 80% Secret
Eat a variety of foods, in particular fruits and vegetables. Make sure, that you are “eating the rainbow” – red peppers, carrots, spinach, cauliflower,and eggplant, for example, offers color and variety. The world’s longest living people eat less than 10 grams of salt per day and cut down on refined sugar, refined grains, and foods prepared with cow’s milk. They have sweet potato, soyabeans. They enjoy their green tea.
One of the most common sayings in Japan is “Hara hachi bu,” which is said before or after eating and means “Fill your belly to 80 percent. Overeating wears down the body with long digestive processes that accelerate cellular oxidation. By presenting their meals on many small plates, the Japanese tend to eat less.
Movement & Exercise
The longest-living people are not the ones who do the most exercise but rather the ones who move the most. Everyone should be involved in some type of body movements such as talking walks, gardening, doing your laundry, cooking, cleaning, on a regular basis. Practicing yoga or any other form of light exercise can help. The Surya Namaskar (the Sun Salutation) with just twelve basic movements is one of the simplest and most effective hatha yoga exercise that one can practise at home for a lifetime. Breathing properly can do wonders.
Moai: Connected for Life
A Moai is an informal group of people with common interests who look out for one another. Those who will motivate you and provide you with constructive feedback and support when necessary. Surround yourself with good friends and family, with people who are positive and cheerful. Nurture your friendships every day. If you are anxious, go out, say ‘Hello!’ and ‘See you later!’ to people.
Antiaging Secrets : The Art Of Staying Young While Growing Old
Active Mind, Youthful Body : A sound mind lies in a sound body. Physical exercise keep the body healthy. Simple exercises like jogging, stretching, pushups, cycling, makes you feel happy and energetic. Mental work exercises help create new neural connections and revitalizes the brain.
Be Mindful about Reducing Stress: High-level stress leads to premature aging. One way to reach a state of mindfulness is through meditation. Get seven to nine hours of sleep.
Sitting for Prolonged Periods Ages You : Walk to work, or just go for a walk 20 minutes in a day, take the stairs, play a sport, play with kids, participate in social or leisure activities.
Have a Positive Attitude and Emotional Awareness : Stay cheerful and maintain a positive attitude. Accept emotions without trying to control them since feelings will change as a result of actions.
How to Face Life’s Challenges without Stress and Worry ?
• Pray once you wake up.
• Focus on the most important than the most urgent.
• Be flexible, concentrate on things you can control, and don’t worry about those you cannot.
• There is nothing wrong with enjoying life’s pleasures as long as they do not take control of your life.
• Think about what’s the worst thing that can happen. However, do not give in to negative emotions.
• Observe the thoughts as they appear, without getting carried away.
• Focus on here and now.
• Only imperfection resembles the natural world.
The two important concepts to be fully understood are :

The here and now, and the impermanence of things: Both Buddhism and Stoicism remind us that the present is all that exists, and it is the only thing we can control. Instead of worrying about the past or the future, we should appreciate things just as they are in the moment, in the now.

Wabi-sabi and ichi-go ichi-e: Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept that shows us the beauty of the fleeting, changeable, and imperfect nature of the world around us. Instead of searching for beauty in perfection, we should look for it in things that are flawed, incomplete. Japanese concept is that of ichi-go ichi-e , which could be translated “This moment exists only now and won’t come again.” It is heard most often in social gatherings as a reminder that each encounter is unique and will never be repeated, meaning that we should enjoy the moment and not lose ourselves in worries about the past or the future.

Summarised : The 10 Rules of Ikigai

1. Stay active; don’t retire.
2. Take it slow.
3. Don’t fill your stomach.
4. Surround yourself with good friends.
5. Get in shape for your next birthday.
6. Smile.
7. Reconnect with nature.
8. Give thanks.
9. Live in the moment.
10. Follow your IKIGAI.

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