Ikigai: The Mysterious Japanese Way To Find Happiness

In our culture, there is no word that defines the meaning of what they in Japanese culture call ikigai . According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai , a reason to exist. Someone has found it and is aware of it. Others have it inside them, but they are still not aware of it, or they can never reach it. Behind it all lies the secret to finding happiness.

Our society bombards us with the culture of materialism. How important it is to have more and more money, a better car or a luxurious home. This pushes us to work harder and harder to try to get all these things, but at the same time we lose our inner well-being. Jobs are becoming increasingly difficult to find. In most cases, we are obliged to accept them, not by call, but by necessity. Eventually, this situation becomes a vicious circle that is very difficult to escape from. It also creates great personal dissatisfaction.

In the book Ikigai, Your Road to a Long and Meaningful Life, Hector García and Francesc Miralles capture the experiences of the Japanese centenarians in the village of Ogami. Especially their experiences with a happy and healthy life. In addition, they describe some keys for each of us to look inside ourselves to discover the cause of our existence. By doing this, your self-esteem will increase and you will begin to be aware of the activities or lifestyles that can lead to inner peace.

Here are some keys that this Japanese mystery reveals to us in its quest for happiness:

Ikigai, the reason for living

The reason why these Japanese centenarians get up every morning is the basis or legitimate reason that justifies their existence. For them, there is no word or concept to describe retirement. They continue to perform the same tasks in their last days, because it fills them with great satisfaction to do what they like to do for the good of society.

“The goal is to identify what each of us is good at, and what gives us joy when it comes to accomplishing it. It also makes us aware that we are contributing something to the world. When we do that, we have better self-esteem, because we feel that our presence in the world is justified. Happiness would be the consequence “, says Miralles.

Encourage social relationships

The elderly in Japan offer themselves to everything related to the environment. This is how they feel as part of society and useful in their society.

Encouraging and promoting social relationships has a very positive effect on the quality of life. When we relate to others, our mood improves and this gives us great emotional benefits. Relationships help us to be more independent, decisive and improve our cognitive abilities.

Healthy nutrition

The Japanese secret to healthy eating is based on eating a variety of foods in small dishes. Raw fruits and vegetables are the basis of the diet. They almost never eat sugar directly, and if they do, it is sugar cane, grown in their own fields.

They eat fewer calories and to achieve this they are controlled by hara hachi bu , a principle that says you should stop eating when you are at 80% of your stomach capacity.

Think positive

The inhabitants of Ogami lead a life free from stress and anxiety. For them, the idea of ​​urgency does not exist. Optimism and smile are the most important laws reflected in the ikigai laws.

Our actions are based on our thoughts. If we change the way we think, we can begin to change the decisions we make. People always seek personal growth, both physically and emotionally. Practicing positive inner conversations can help us carry out actions that lead to good performance.

Practice training

Every morning, the residents train in a group training before starting their daily routine. These are basic exercises that consist of stretching the muscles and moving the joints. The purpose of this physical activity is to strengthen the spirit of cooperation and unity of all participants.

The search for our ikigai can be long. But when we find it, we will feel that happiness is invading us. We have found our “reason for existence” which is based on four basic pillars: passion, vocation, mission and profession.