Ikigai

 Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Reading new books is a regular part of my life therapy. It is said that everything happens for a reason.  For me, the purpose of book reading is to reset things- a reset for nature and a reset for our life too. Well, it has been for me for sure.

It has been few days when I am reading this book Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to Long and Happy Life. This book is all about the purpose of one’s life, and how it can lead to happiness. The authors Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles when learned about Ikigai, decided to find the real meaning and how it works. They decided to visit Okinawa, the island with most centenarians in the world, who believe that their Ikigai is the reason to get up every morning. Just like the authors, Ikigai was a mystery for me too. Reading about the island and the community, centenarians, left me puzzled and curious to know and understand more about it. Now reading this book was not just a pass time activity, it was a mystery to be unfolded.

In simple terms, Ikigai means the purpose of your life, the reason why you are born. Everybody has a purpose in their life. Without a purpose to fulfil, or a goal to chase, life would appear meaningless. Ikigai is a combination of what you love, what are you good at, what world needs, and what you can be paid for. A compound of your passion, profession, mission and vocation. In Okinawa, everyone has a purpose, if not, they help each other as a community to find the purpose.

The Logo Therapy

If there is a meaning, a purpose in every life, there has to be a way to find it too. There are various ways through which you can find the purpose of your life. It requires patience as your search for your purpose is not time bound. Some find it quickly, some take time, although everyone carries it within themselves. In this book they have explained about Logo Therapy by Viktor Frankl. This therapy is based on the idea that we humans are most motivated by a search for meaning, showing that the meaning of life is the biggest quest in our minds. This therapy can help you to find your purpose. Exploring this therapy, I soon realized that I was not just reading it. I was trying to apply this therapy to find what my purpose is according to the therapy. This therapy makes you think about all the things you have done till now, recall the life you have been living and that is how you see the purpose that is hidden deep within you.

As I finished the chapters about the centenarians and purpose of life, it got me thinking how can just a purpose help a person to live a life that is 117 years long. There has to be some other secret too. The following chapters not only answered my curiosity but also left me astonished- how small things in life can make bigger differences. It is not just the purpose but the way of life and our thoughts that help us chase the purpose and lead us to a happy life. The way of life includes our health, our thoughts and our attitude.

The 80% Secret

“Hara hachi bu” is a common Japanese saying which means something like fill your belly up to 80%. We should stop eating as we start feeling full. This helps to prevent long digestive processes and accelerate cell oxidation that helps to live a happier life for a longer period. This was about one’s health but can also be applied to the ‘purpose’. Whatever we achieve is always the 80% of our actual purpose. There is always a scope for betterment, there is always a chance of doing something more. This 20% can be our next 100% to achieve.

Moai

In Okinawa moai means the informal groups formed by the people with similar interests that look out for one another. These moai can also help people find their purpose or through them, serving others in the community becomes your Ikigai. I find this moai an excellent practice to create great team bonding and also for the overall development of a team or community. When there is such a community bonding, one will never feel left out, or worthless in their life. I loved the fact that in Okinawa, they believe in growing as a community rather than as an individual. This is another secret to a happy life.

Whatever you do, don’t retire.

Among all the things I discovered in this journey, this was the most fascinating thing for me. In Japanese, there is no word that means to retire. When someone retires from work, it is like discarding the purpose of your life and hence this idea of retirement simply doesn’t exist in the Japanese culture.

It is important that your mind stays young and healthy like your body. As we do physical exercises to keep our body healthy and look young, our mind also needs exercise. Our mind also needs a regular workout to stay young and healthy.

My journey from a mysterious word to My Ikigai

I would say it a journey, because while reading this, I feel like I have travelled to the island of Okinawa in my mind with the authors. Started with the purpose of just reading, it took me on a journey to discover many secrets to happiness. Every life has a purpose, all we need to do is find it. If you haven’t found it yet, do not stop, carry on the search for it.

Perhaps this search of purpose is itself a purpose because in this process of searching one might come across or fulfil many smaller purposes. I am happy to realize my purpose of life. And even more happy that unknown of my Ikigai until now, I have been working in the right direction. I have learned that it is not necessary to have one big purpose. One can have numerous smaller purposes that collectively contribute to one big purpose of life; being happy.

What we must do is follow our heart and do things that make us happy. It can be as big as a great invention or as simple as talking to someone. What matters is the smile on the face and peace of mind that we get. Like me, I hope you guys too find your Ikigai soon.

Dead End: Some Tough Time

I see this a lot.

On social media and specially currently In real life too. Conversations I overhear. People feel stuck in place. They don’t think they can make forward momentum in their lives.

It’s a tough position to be in. It can feel all-consuming, a heavy feeling that wraps around you like a wet blanket. There are many reasons why you might be feeling stuck or feeling trapped in life.

And there are also potential solutions.

There’s no overnight cure, but maybe you can feel better in three sleeps. Or four sleeps? Who knows?

But you’ll never know if you don’t continue the search for the right information.

Feeling Stuck in Life Reason 

1: You Think There’s No Hope for Any Change and You’re Feeling Lost 

Feeling stuck starts with your thoughts. If you think you’re stuck, you’re stuck. It’s as simple — and as complicated — as that.

Thoughts create your situation. They frame how you see the world. They are, in fact, the foundation of your current paradigm. It’s so easy to use your thoughts to create a convenient narrative about why you’re worthless and can’t go anywhere. I’ve done it all the time. But the problem with that is that it’s NOT true. There’s always something that you can do.

But you won’t be able to move forward unless you stop thinking thoughts like, “I feel stuck in life. I feel trapped in my life. I’m stuck.”

Negative thinking is a slippery slope.

In a way, it’s adaptive. It keeps you in place, in your perceived safety. When you think yourself into a corner, you don’t have to go anywhere. The ego wants that because your ego wants to keep you safe and secure. Every time that I’ve told myself that there’s no hope is because, deep down, I’m scared, and my silly brain thinks that moving through fear will lead to my destruction.

It’s simply not true.

Potential Solutions to Get Unstuck From Your Mindset and Stop Feeling Lost in Life

Here are a few things to try if you’re feeling trapped or lost and think that there’s no hope of any change in your life.

Realize that you are the one who created these thoughts, and you can be the one to create new thoughts. If you start thinking about possibilities, might you start to see possibilities?

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Talk to someone who you see as NOT stuck. What do they think that you don’t? How did they create so many opportunities in their life?

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Make sure you’re taking care of yourself. If you’re tired and dehydrated, it’s only natural to think negative thoughts and begin to feel so lost in life. The body and the mind are related, and your brain will pull from your physical state to think thoughts that it feels relate to your physical feelings.

Let’s move on to the next reason.

2: You’re Stuck in a Dead-End Job 

Maybe you hate your job. So many people do. They feel trapped.

What can you do if that’s the case?

It’s hopeless, right?

Wrong.

You have more power than you realize. Your life is not falling apart. You’re not stuck in a prison working for extremely low wages even though it might feel like it at times. There are probably small ways that you can create some opportunity for yourself.

But it’s totally understandable. You spend so much of your life at work that, if you hate what you do, it can have a profound negative impact on your life.

For many people, work becomes life. If you love what you do, this is fine. But if you hate your work, you hate your life.

It’s time to get your life back.

Potential Solutions to Get Unstuck at Work and Figure Out What You Want to Do With Your Life

1. Focus your thoughts on the tasks that you enjoy.

There has to be something about your job that brings you joy.

Even if it’s the small amounts of time that you get by yourself when you’re cleaning up.

Could you use that time to create a new future for yourself? Could that be your own private space to mentally create a new reality instead of repeating the ‘Im stuck” loop in your head? Likewise, focus your full attention on these joyful tasks. There are going to be times in your work that you hate. Thankfully, you get to choose your attitude during the times that you enjoy.

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2. Always look for other opportunities to figure out what to do with your life

This might be viewed as shady by some, but I think it’s realistic.

You are a valuable human being with real skills. You should always be scanning the horizon to see how you can best offer those skills.

You’re not required to be in one job until the end of time. You can go somewhere else. It’s often an outdated mental model, likely handed down to you when you were young, that is telling you that you can’t go anywhere. You can. It may not be a perfect opportunity, but you can make incremental moves in your life. Before you know it, you’re doing work you love.

You’re not always going to be saying, “I don’t know what to do with my life.”

And with a question like, “What do I do with my life?” it can be hard to even know where to begin.

And it’s so difficult to answer because what works for one person probably won’t work for you.

Plus, if you think about it, you’re most likely looking for answers to different questions.

In this article, we’re going to go over the questions behind the questions.

It’s time to figure out what you need to do to analyze your life and discover your purpose.

A lot of people start here because they think that the whole point of life is to figure out the career they’re supposed to be doing.

This is what society tells you–that once you’re old enough to begin your professional life, you just need to know what you’re supposed to be doing–and then go do it. But how often do you make decisions like that? Isn’t it the case that you learn about yourself through a slow process of discovery?

Think back to when you were a child.

Did you just pop out of bed, know what you wanted to do that day, write down a plan in your child-sized notebook, and then go about doing it? Of course not. You explored. You stumbled upon what you liked bit by bit. This is always how it works, but we get tricked by society and its famous “planning mindset.” The reality is this: a life plan doesn’t just magically materialize in the blink of an eye.

Your career path is a series of steps, a process of discovery.

But how do you start the process? You start with a question that’s easier to answer. How do I choose a job? A job is smaller than a career. That’s obvious. But how do you go about picking one? Well, what are your talents?

What do you enjoy doing? Going back to the child analogy, what made your eyes light up when you were a kid? Do you even remember?

If you’re stuck and can’t think of anything, talk to the people who know you best–your parents, your friends–or maybe your neighbors or even your current coworkers, if you’re working in a job that you’re trying to get away from.

The answer is always going to come from inside you, but you might need some help to drag it out.

If you’re a person who likes working with their hands, look for jobs that allow you to do that.If you’re a person who is more cerebral and in your head, then maybe you want a job that values your thinking skills.

If you know yourself, then the kinds of jobs you might enjoy will become obvious. But I’m guessing you didn’t really come here to know what kind of job you should apply for.

I’m guessing something deeper is going on.

Actually, I’m not guessing–I know this.

How?

Because all humans are meaning-making creatures. We’re not on this planet simply to get old enough to work, find a job to do for a few years, and then die.

We crave purpose. And in purpose there is meaning.

Purpose of Life?

You came here thinking, “I don’t know what to do with my life” and now you have to deal with your ultimate purpose?

I know. It seems like a lot to handle. And no one article will deliver your purpose to you in a neat package. But an article can get you thinking about what it means to live a purposeful life. There can be as many purposes in life as there are people on this planet, so it’s time to uncover another question you might actually be asking.

What is my purpose?

Your purpose is not my purpose, and it’s not your mother or father’s purpose. It’s your own. And it emerges from your day-to-day life. It’s in the everyday life that you find what you’re made of and then use those lessons to set your direction.

Here are two more sets of questions to ask yourself…

1) Start by asking yourself some basic questions:

What are your goals? Where do you want to go in the future? Who do you want to become? What kind of job would make you happy? What kind of relationship would make you happy?

2) Then, ask yourself these more specific questions:

Do you have any skills or talents that could help you get there? Are you willing to put in the time and effort to learn new things? Can you see yourself doing something else?

Questions upon questions.

It can make anyone’s head spin.

But how will you find answers if you’re not asking questions?

And the more questions you can ask yourself, the better.

Because that’s how you’ll stir up the greatest variety of answers.

And that’s what you’re here for, right? The answers to your brief time on this planet.