Cathy Carbellido's Key Ideas from Ikigai
by Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

Ikigai explains how you can live a longer and happier life by having a purpose, eating healthy, and not retiring.

Many people find themselves trapped in the never-ending need to do everything faster, better, and harder. In contrast, discovering your ikigai will help you slow down and enjoy life more.

Finding your ikigai can be as simple as asking four basic questions:

• PERSONAL

What are your strengths? Think of what you do better than everyone else. 

• PURPOSE

What does the world need? Imagine something you see that the world lacks.

• PASSION

What are your passions? Picture the things that you could do all day without stopping.

• PROFIT

What can you earn a living doing? You have to make money from your craft, so how can you do that?

Take it Slow- Ikigai helps Okinawa residents be more mindful in their daily lives. The concept of ikigai has its roots in Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and keeping an open mind.

Don’t Fill Your Stomach-  The “Okinawa diet” includes at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, with small amounts of fish and lean meat. They rarely eat sugar, and, if they do, it’s cane sugar. The average daily intake of an Okinawan is about 1,900 calories. 

Hara Hachi Bu is a traditional Okinawan saying that means “eat until you are 80 percent full.” The idea is that you should stop eating when you are no longer feeling hungry, rather than continue to eat until you feel stuffed.

This philosophy of eating is based on the belief that it is better to stop eating before you feel too full, as it can lead to indigestion and other health problems. 

Ways to get started include:

• Eat slowly
• Focus on food
• Use small vessels

Intensity may deter consistency, so Okinawans strive for simplicity in their forms of exercise. A walk around the neighborhood, a day in the garden, or singing karaoke are just a few simple ways they maintain movement frequently. 

Research shows that friends can affect your health even more than family. People with the most friends tend to outlive those with the fewest by 22 percent. Keep in mind that this means real friends. The authors point out that Facebook friends and Twitter followers do not count.

The key is to have three or four good friends that care for you the same way you care for them. The easiest way to develop close friendships is to think about what you can do to help the people closest to you be happier.

Smiling does more than tell other people you’re happy. Smiling lowers your heart rate and reduces blood pressure while relaxing your body. A study from University College London found that cheerful people are 35 percent more likely to live longer. 

A Harvard University study showed that people surrounded by lush greenery lived longer, with a lower chance of developing cancer or respiratory illnesses. Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature can positively impact our lives. Spending time in nature, in particular, appears inherently rewarding, producing a cascade of positive emotions and calming our nervous systems. This, in turn, helps us cultivate greater openness, creativity, connection, generosity, and resilience.

Gratitude has consistently been associated with positive outcomes. Apart from increasing your happiness levels, gratitude also improves your physical health. It lowers stress levels. Stress is associated with heart attacks and other chronic conditions, but can be reduced by adopting gratitude and encouraging optimism. Optimism increases immune-boosting cells. People who express gratitude are more likely to report higher levels of well-being and satisfaction with their lives. They are also more likely to experience less stress and anxiety and be more resilient in the face of adversity.

Most of us know that we should exercise more, but there always seems to be something more pressing that demands our attention. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that most of us could benefit from exercising more. As Japanese centenarians show, all you need is light, regular movement in your day. In doing so, you can face the world with strength, joy, and serenity.

Flow is the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. It is characterized by a sense of focus and effortless concentration. It is often associated with positive experiences, such as peak performance, and the experience itself becomes highly enjoyable.

The idea is to keep your mind and body active to fill yourself with purpose and ikigai daily. 

We see retirement as a golden age of holidays and gold. However, retirement kills your ikigai. We need to stop spending so much time worrying about making more money and our eventual retirement.

So, never retire. Keep learning, keep changing, and keep growing.

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.