Ikigai is the intersection between what you are passionate about, where your skills lie, how you can earn a living and what the world needs.

Ikigai is where your reason for living meets your life goal

Once you find it, wether as a job or a hobby, you should not give it up as Ikigai is also the key to longevity as people from Okinawa show. Indeed an active mind and low stress are the key to a long life. To keep your mind active engage in social life, go outside and do mind games. This will avoid you get stuck in patterns and routines that promote your brain to slow down.

Everyone has an Ikigai that they were born to fulfill

Flow is experienced when enjoyment and concentration are so deep they bloc out all other concerns – even time itself. Seeking out flow activities will increase your enjoyment of life and, therefore, your longevity. That’s why you should prioritize flow experiences over hedonistic ones like overeating, substance abuse or media entertainment. Ideally, your ikigai – your main life occupation – will regularly produce a state of flow, but if it doesn’t, be sure your hobbies do. Calibrating the level of difficulty is essential for flow.

Remain Young by immersing yourself in an activity 

“We have to learn how to turn off the autopilot that’s steering us in an endless loop.”

No Autopilot

Enjoy and cultivate your friendships, chat with your neighbors, enjoy quiet pursuits in the early morning, enjoy what you have

Friendships, gratefulness, early mornings and Garden vegetables 

In Morita therapy, patients are asked to pay attention to and accept their feelings, without attempting to change them. From there, they take particular actions to create new emotions, which gradually replace the old ones. <ol><li>First there is a week of complete rest and disconnect from media.</li><li>Second, the patient begins to integrate repetitive activities into her daily routine. </li><li>Third, these activities become more physical and creative producing a new set of emotions.</li><li>Finally, the patient is ready for stage four: reentering the world with a newfound sense of calm and purpose</li></ol>

Morita Therapy 

Reducing stress is the key to a long life, try practicing mindfulness, doing yoga or taking time to exercise. This will give you a chance to calm down and observe your body and mind more closely.

Avoiding stress is key for Longevity 

The Okinawan diet contains an incredible variety of foods ( up to 206 different foods on a regular basis, including herbs and spices. The base of the diet is grains, like rice or noodles, while seasonings like salt and sugar are used sparingly. They eat small portions until they are 80% full and eat/ drink antioxidants rich foods like green tea and citrus fruits.

Eat Small portions in all Colors of the rainbow 

You don’t need intense workout but movement throughout the day: walking, doing chores, tending to the garden and getting up five minutes for every 30 minutes you sit

Movement is Crucial for a Long Life

Learn how to find your life purpose, enjoy life and live a long fulfilling life.

Los Angeles Times bestseller • More than 1.5 million copies sold “Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider “One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes *And from the same authors, don’t miss The Book of Ichigo Ichie—about making the most of every moment in your life.* * * * Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) and bring meaning and joy to all your days. “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day? A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE

productivity

Productivity

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

travel

Travel

books

Books

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 1.5 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE “Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider   “One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) to live longer and bring more meaning and joy to all your days. “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb   According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?

Hector Garcia was born in Spain in 1981 and has been living in Tokyo since 2004. During his spare time he writes aGeekinJapan.com, one of the most widely-read blogs in the world in Spanish and in English, as well as books about his experiences in Japan. He is the author of the bestsellers: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life and A Geek in Japan. You can find more of Hector's musings at ageekinjapan.com

Héctor García

Francesc Miralles Contijoch is a Catalan writer, essayist, translator, and musician.