Book Review IKIGAI
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Avinash SalkadeBook Review IKIGAI
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Avinash SalkadeIkigai
By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
The theme “The Japanese Secret to a Long
and Happy Life”.
Introduction to the author:
Héctor is the author of several books about Japanese culture,
including two worldwide bestsellers. He is born in Europe and a
citizen of Japan, where he has lived for over a decade. He was a
former software engineer. And later, he worked at CERN in
Switzerland. He developed voice recognition software. And the
technology needed for Silicon Valley startups to enter the
Japanese market.
Francesc Miralles is an award-winning author .He is a Spanish
writer, essayist, translator, and musician. After finishing his
degree, he was hired as an editor by a publishing house. He has
written bestselling Inspirational books.
Review:
"Ikigai" is a book that talks about a Japanese concept that
translates to "a reason for being." It's about finding and living a
purposeful life, which can bring happiness, contentment, and
fulfillment.
The Japanese term “Ikigai” or the “art of living” refers to the
practice of living a purposeful life concerning a person’s sense
of the self.
The book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life,
discusses this idea from the author's visit to a town in Japan
called Okinawa, home to the largest population of centenarians
in the world. At this place, there are 24.5 inhabitants of age
more than 100 for every 1,00,000 people. They interviewed
these people who have lived long enough to impart incredible
wisdom.
What is Ikigai?
Ikigai may differ from person to person. Ikigai is nothing but
finding a purpose in life. Others say that it is something you do
for yourself when no one else has asked you to do it.
Both these things stand together and lead us to the fact that
Ikigai is the reason to live. It is the reason life seems interesting.
It helps you to keep going even when situations are not in your
favor. It is the reason for your existence.
On this Japanese island, there are more centenarians than
anywhere else in the world. Not only are they old, but they are
still active and happy, up until a very high age.
It forces you to think about what’s important in life. And right
there lies the secret to a long and happy life. To answer this
question, you will find your Ikigai. This is one of the reasons
why the inhabitants of Okinawa Island are living extremely
long.
Ikigai is a combination of your passion, your mission, and your
profession. In this book, the term Ikigai is translated as the bliss
of always being busy.
Blue Zone
Once you understand the meaning of the word Ikigai, the book
tries to explain the deep art of staying young while growing old.
It gives the references of 5 Blue Zones in the world where
residents of these places live longer than average and secrets of
their long life.
1. Little Stress is good for you
Here , the book explains how stress, a lot of sitting adds up to
your age and makes reduces your life duration. Interestingly it
also mentions very prominently that little stress is good for you
since it keeps you going. It firmly believes- Being Conscious of
Your Daily Routine and activity Can Lead to A Better Life!
2. Discover the meaning of your life
In this chapter, the author helps you, deep-dive, into
discovering the meaning of your life. It is quite evident that the
authors stress more on discovering the meaning of life rather
than creating one for you!
3. Finding flow in everything that you do
In this important part the author helps you find the meaning of
your life, you need to completely immerse into the experience
without being distracted by the surroundings and you attain the
flow.
4. Practicing the techniques
This section talks about the collection of various techniques
which help you keep your mind and body intact. It talks about –
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Surya Namaskara
- Tai Chi etc.
5. Wabi-Sabi
The book concludes after introducing another Japanese
Technique called- Wabi-Sabi. This technique talks about finding
beauty in imperfect, incomplete things. Here flawed is
preferred over perfection. Japanese believe that only
imperfect, incomplete, and ephemeral things are beautiful
because they resemble nature.
Conclusion :
Ikigai is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that offers a
unique perspective on finding purpose and meaning in life. It
can help readers find purpose and meaning in their lives. The
practical advice, exercises, and real-life examples make it an
enjoyable and engaging read. The book is recommended to
anyone looking to find their passion, achieve their goals, and
live a more fulfilling life.
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