Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles
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File under: Better Living
As a resolution for the new year, I plan to spend some time each day reading non-fiction. Primary of the type I feel like I can glean practical learnings from to bring into my day-to-day life. The first is a book I started over the holiday break: Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles.
Ikigai is about finding your purpose and putting that purpose into practice for a long, healthy, and happy life. It’s small—an easy read—filled with lots of practical nuggets and insight.
The word “Ikigai” is Japanese and translates roughly to “a reason for living.”
The authors argue that everyone has an ikigai or a sense of purpose in life and that finding and living following one's ikigai can bring a sense of fulfillment and happiness well into advanced age.
For me, this was a bit of a challenging read. Not due to the writing style, length, or anything like that. I identify with much of what the authors talk about, but I have always felt lacking in an easily identifiable purpose. It’s one of the reasons I picked this one up. I have reasons to live but feel a bit lost when I think about things like my “life’s work” or an underlying reason for living. I imagine that feeling is pretty familiar to many.
The book draws on the authors' experiences and research, as well as on the stories and practices of people from Japan and other countries, to present a comprehensive guide to finding and living one's ikigai. In particular, I enjoyed all the interviews and anecdotes from the centenarians in Okinawa. The latter chapters cover foods, exercise, and lifestyle. I’ve noted to dig deeper into those, especially the exercise. The practice of Radio Taiso, especially, seems interesting to me. I like to get moving early in the day, and I almost always wake up sore, so I think I could benefit from something like that.
To sum it up, Ikigai is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that encourages us to think deeply about our sense of purpose and to take steps to align our lives with it. It offers practical advice and guidance on how to find and pursue one's ikigai.
