SUMMARY OF IKIGAI BOOK

Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life

Author: Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

Publisher: Random House UK; 1st edition (27 September 2017)

Language: English

Hardcover: 208 pages

          Author talks about western psychology, logotherapy and compel reader to find purpose of life and make his/her life a meaningful one. It is due to somehow people get distracted and do not know what they are doing and how they made their life. In this book author interviewed people of japan especially of island of Okinawa where most of the people are hundred years old and suggested some takeaways.

For a happy life:- 

Author emphasised on the secrets of Japan’s centenarians and it is one of the major purposes of writing this book. He also writes that everyone has a way to be happy while rest are searching for it though they have it within their self.

People should treat people as they treat their brothers even if they have never met them before. The people believe in teamwork and they used to help each other.

Nurturing friendships every day, eating less food, taking proper rest, starting the day with some workout, and celebrating is the key to a happy life.

They all have some hobby like farming, playing, cooking etc. in which they can keep themselves busy.

For a healthy life:

This is some of things author emphasised in this book what he found in his research while interviewing people who are hundred years old and living happily.

The people take green tea. They eat vegetables and leafy food, sweet potatoes, fish and tofu. They eat a balanced diet. They eat only 80% of his stomach full.

They get up around 5:30 AM in the morning.

They have strong social ties, broad circle of friends and good family relations. They play with pets, children or join a sports team.

People should do some exercise for mind. People should try new things, provide new information to mind so that their mind should be capable to learn new things and think with greater efficiency even growing old.

People should avoid stress but little stress is good for health and will be reinvigorating.

Author suggests that a lot of sitting will age you, so try to avoid it. People should walk at least twenty minutes daily. And enjoy their life with friends, helping each other out.

Author emphasised on logotherapy than psychoanalysis.

Frankl's concept is based on the premise that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find a meaning in life.

The following list of tenets represents basic principles of logotherapy:-

1. Life has a meaning under any ups and downs, evens the most miserable ones.

2. Our main motivation for living is our will to find purpose in life.

3. We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stance we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable circumstances.

The basic tenets of psychoanalysis include:-

1. A person's progress is determined by often overlooked events in early childhood, rather than by inherited traits alone.

2. Human behaviour and cognition are largely determined by instinctual drives that are rooted in the insensible.

3. Attempts to fetch such drives into awareness triggers resistance in the form of defence mechanisms, particularly suppression.

Some of the techniques written in this book are,

Wabi sabi:

        In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Characteristics of wabi-sabi aesthetics and principles include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and the appreciation of both natural objects and the forces of nature.

Ichi-go ichi-e:

         It describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term reminds people to cherish any gathering that they may take part in, citing the fact that any moment in life cannot be repeated; even when the same group of people get together in the same place again, a particular gathering will never be replicated, and thus each moment is always a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Anti-fragility:

            Anti-fragility is a property of systems in which they increase in capability to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures.

Flow:

            It is a mental state of being fully immersed and focused. One should choose single task and stay focused in it rather than taking multitask and feel distracted.

Yoga:

          Yoga is the calming down the fluctuations/patterns of consciousness. It is the union of the self and the Lord. It is said to be the oneness of one entity with another. It is about a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices originating in ancient India

        According to the Japanese, there is a purpose behind everyone’s birth you have been sent on the earth to find that purpose and complete your role. To find that purpose author suggested a formula in this book.

One’s passion or love (1) + what one is good at (2) + where one can earn (3) + where one can serve (4) = ikigai

(1) One should ask, what one love to do? Does one have skills for it?

(2) Does one have enough skills to define one’s passion?

(3) Can one earn with this passion?

(4) Can it help one in serving the nation?

(1) + (2) = Passion

(2) + (3) = Profession

(3) + (4) = Vocation

(4) + (1) = Mission

         Let understand it with an example. One loves to write. One can excel most of the forms of writing. One can earn from it by being a professional writer. And now this is one’s mission to write and serve the best work to the nation.

It will make one immensely happy with oneself until one’s last breath.

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