IKIGAI
IKIGAI is something that is fascinating people all over the world today. And to look for the meaning of this word one day two authors, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles reached the Okinawa Island of Japan.
To start with, the word IKIGAI comes into being by joining two words IKI and GAI. Where IKI means to live and GAI means the meaning to live. Roughly translated it means “a reason to live.” Something which motivates you to get up in the morning. So that can have a long and fulfilling life. Its seems that Japanese people have found their IKIGAI as they have the highest life expectancy in the world, 85 years for men and 87.3 years for women. The country also has the highest ratio of centenarians.
While I am telling you about the secret of their long life, I would like to tell you that Okinawa is one of those areas of Japan which was affected the World War 2 and the average life expectancy was not very high after the war. So how did it all change.
To know about it the authors interviewed senior citizens in the island of Okinawa.
They came to know that there are certain rules to IKIGAI which they include in their daily. So, what are these rules?
10 Rules of IKIGAI
Stay Active; Don’t Retire
People who leave doing the work they love become passive. They lose their zeal to go on because they seem to have lost their purpose. Don’t stop doing the work that you love even if you have passed a certain age.
Japanese believe to work till the time their body allows them to. They believe in this concept so much that they don’t retire. In fact, there is no word for the concept of retirement in their dictionary.
Take it Slow
Take life in a slow pace. When you try to live in a hurry, you lose its quality. It has been proven by studies time and again that when one tries to multi task they are not able to give their 100% to any of those tasks.
Japanese believe that we can only reach the flow state of our work when we give it our complete attention. To explain this concept, authors give the example of Jiro in this book. Jiro runs Tunka, a small sushi restaurant in Tokyo. His Sushi is so good that the restaurant is always full and it has got the greatest awards in the food industry Michelin star. Still he has never considered opening in different locations. A s for him and his family a serene work atmosphere which gives them satisfaction is the most important thing.
Don’t fill your Stomach to the Full
Okinawans believe not to stuff their stomach to the full. When you fill your stomach to the full a lot of the energy goes into digesting that food and the body becomes slow.
Japanese believe you should stop eating when you feel almost full. They call this practice Hara Hachi Bu. If being light on the stomach is not possible for you, keep fast once a week. Or just skip that dessert after the meals.
Surround Yourself with Good Friends
We all know that a heart-to-heart talk with a good friend makes the world feel a better place. That’s why always keep in touch with the people who care for you.
Off course you will have to be selective as not everyone can be a friend. But if you have found even one good friend keep in touch. Authors came to know that people in Okinawa don’t wait for events to meet. They come up for gatherings in the mornings or evenings.
Get in Shape for Your Next Birthday
Like water can only remain fresh when it keeps flowing; human body can remain healthy when it keeps moving. This doesn’t mean that you will have to go to the gym for rigorous exercises but a basic daily exercise will work wonders for your health.
An exercise popular in Okinawa is Radio Taiso. It’s got its name from the time when the instructions of this exercise used to be given through the radio. These are basic yet effective exercises.
Smile
Yes smile. Smile at kids, smile at your friends. Smile and the world will smile with you. It is said that smiles increase the happy hormones of the body.
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This is also true that everything in this world is not worth smiling. There are things that disturb us. But the key is to understand that you existing at this time is a gift in itself.
Reconnect with Nature
Nature has the power to heal. A Harvard study shows people living around greenery have less risk developing of chronic diseases. Japanese believe that one should connect with nature with all the five senses, they call this concept, Shirin-vaku
With todays the lifestyle it can be difficult to be in touch with nature, but you can always take a small step. Try to plant some planters at home or go for vacations to a place that has its scenic beauty.
Give Thanks
Always be grateful. Japanese say thanks daily to their ancestors to their family to their friends. And anything that think makes their life worthwhile. As where ever you are is a sum total of all the things good and bad that happened to you. And when you start to focus on the positive things your brain won’t be able to remind you of negative things often.
Live in the Moment
It’s useless to regret the past or to worry about the future. Today is all the time in the world you have. Of course, you should work for your future but not to the extend that it makes you feel stressed.
Changes don’t happen for no reason; they happen in the greater scheme of the universe. Everyone and everything around will go at one time. I don’t mean you to get negative about it but the idea is to value everything you have today. As it may not be there tomorrow.
Now let’s come to the most important rule.
Follow your IKIGAI
The tenth and the most important rule of ikigai is to follow your ikigai.
So, what is your Ikigai. To begin with, It has 4 elements to it
What you Love
What you are Good at
What you can be Paid for
What the World Needs
Ikigai can said as something which comes as a crossroad to these four concepts.
Yes, ikigai is something you love to do. Say you love to paint. But only painting in a serene hill station won’t pay your bills. On the contrary if you are trapped in a job which you don’t enjoy won’t be fulfilling as well.
Both the situations won’t lead to a fulfilled life. So, what is it that will lead to.
Now what if you can look for a work which sits on all the parameters. Yes, it won’t fit completely but even if some parts of it fit, you will be good to go.
Recap
So, if you want to live a long healthy consider living with your ikigai. Be busy- be healthy, smile- eat good food, live in the present, be grateful, stay in touch with friends and nature. And never leave doing the things that you love. Even if you are past the employment age.
You have a unique capability. But if feel you have not yet found it yet, keep looking for it. and once you find it keep nurturing it one day at a time.
Just like Steve Jobs said “Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”
