Book Review
By Rati Agnihotri
Ikigai by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles
The residents of Okinawa in Japan live till the age of 100, 110 and even 120. These senior citizens grow their own food, follow an active lifestyle and do not believe in retirement. Japanese society is known for its strong work ethic. The Japanese people do all their work in a state of flow. They also follow the concept of microflow which implies that they accomplish even the most mundane of tasks with such grace, aplomb, and unique style that these tasks become enjoyable.
What do takumis (artisans), engineers, inventors, and otakus (fans of anime and manga) have in common? They all understand the importance of flowing with their ikigai at all times (From Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life)
Ikigai, by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, is the kind of book that leaves you with many fresh and innovative ideas about life and how you ought to live. Ikigai is a Japanese term that, in English, can be roughly translated into reason for being. What is that purpose or passion that makes you want to jump out of bed every morning and take on the day with unmatched levels of vigour and enthusiasm? What is it that sees you through the most unpredictable and trying of circumstances? That, my friend, is your Ikigai.
The book lucidly explains the concept of Ikigai and tells you how to find your Ikigai. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life is a product of solid journalistic research. The main setting of Ikigai is Okinawa, a Japanese island with one of the highest life expectancies in the world. The authors of the book visited Okinawa, spent time with the senior citizens of Okinawa, observed their lifestyles, took notes, and presented all their findings in the book. A major chunk of the book is devoted to centenarians of Okinawa – what motivates them, what is their life philosophy, what is their daily routine like, what food they eat, what exercises they perform, etc. A chapter in the book is devoted to interviews of various centenarians; you can even read their direct quotes. The journalistic bit makes the book stand out from the usual motivational fare. You get a unique insight into the life values and motivations of the centenarians of Okinawa backed with solid journalistic evidence.
The lifestyle of the Okinawa senior citizens and their words of wisdom give you valuable tools to find your own Ikigai. The major premise of the book is discovering one’s Ikigai; you get to read about many principles and rituals of Japanese society connected to finding one’s Ikigai. Let me talk briefly about the ones that I found the most interesting.
- Do not retire – According to the book, retirement is a very western concept. Most people work like crazy at a young age, get completely burned out, and then retire. There is a great desire to retire because work for them is mere work, it is not connected to their life source, and there is no pleasure associated with work. The Japanese, the authors say, have a different philosophy. They do not believe in retirement. The residents of Okinawa are passionate about everything they do. As long as you follow your Ikigai and do whatever you enjoy, you won’t feel the need to retire.
- Find flow in everything you do – The Japanese find flow in everything they do. They are completely immersed in their jobs and even accomplish the most seemingly ordinary jobs with the panache and aplomb of an artisan technician. The book tells you that once you discover the things that give you that state of flow, you are close to finding your Ikigai. The book also elaborates on the concept of microflow which means that you accomplish even the most ordinary things with infinite beauty and grace.
- Have a Community Life – The centenarians of Okinawa have a thriving community life. They celebrate their birthdays with the joy and enthusiasm of kids. Every little achievement is made a big deal and celebrated by the whole community! Community life keeps them vibrant and soulful.
- Spend time in nature – Nature is the source of all joy and creativity. The reason behind most discontent in present times is our disconnect with nature. The Okinawa centenarians spend most of their time in the lap of nature. They walk outdoors, enjoy picnics, and spend a lot of their time gardening. They also grow their own food, something of a novelty considering most of us just mindlessly consume the processed food we buy from supermarkets. The connection with nature makes Okinawa folks stay connected with their Ikigai.
- The Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi – find beauty in imperfection – The book talks about the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi. According to this concept, says the book, the beauty of life lies in little joys and fleeting moments and not in the permanence of things and structure. This, the book argues, is evident in the Japanese style of architecture where the structures are built in such a way that they can be reassembled and refashioned anytime. This philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection helps Japanese people take each moment as it comes.
- Create redundancies – According to the book, the Japanese believe in creating redundancies in personal and professional life. It means that you keep multiple options at hand and do not depend on a single source. In professional life, this translates into having multiple streams of income rather than a single job. The idea is to create different income sources from your hobbies, no matter how small they might be. This will help you in emergencies as you won’t depend on a single job.
The book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life is a must-read for people looking to find their life purpose and expand their creative and intuitive energies. The book is not a productivity manual. The concept of Ikigai goes way beyond achieving professional goals and increasing productivity. It has a spiritual concept and is about finding a sense of balance between the physical, mental, and spiritual components of your existence. The book doesn’t give you any sure-shot shortcuts to find your Ikigai but gives you an intuitive framework for discovering your life purpose and living life to your maximum potential.
