Top 6 Lessons From Ikigai: Secret To A Long & Happy Life

Living a long life is a blessing considering that life expectancy has drastically lowered around the world. Long life with misery is not pleasant, but a long happy, and quality life is amazing to reflect on. In their book Ikigai: The Japanese secret to s long and healthy life Hector Garcia snd Francesc Miralles share some tips from some of the oldest people around the world. Ogimi in the Okinawa Prefecture, a village located in Japan is known as the area with the highest life expectancy rate in the world. Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles visited Okinawa and interviewed some of the oldest people on how to live a long happy life. In simple terms to live a long and healthy life, you need to live in your ikigai accompanied by a healthy diet and some movement.

Ikigai Meaning

Iki = life , Gai = worth/ value

The word ikigai means ” reason for being”. Your ikigai is your life purpose

Here are some of my takeouts from the book ikigai

Stay living your Ikigai

Doing something you love and living in your purpose gives you a reason for being and gives you something to look forward to each day. A study showed that most people die in the first year of their retirement especially when they have nothing else to do than eat and sleep. A good example of someone who lived in their Ikigai until they died is Melvin Maxwell, John Maxwell’s father. Melvin Maxwell served in various phases of ministries for 75 years. He was 98 years old when he went to be with the Lord but guess what in his 90s he continued encouraging people. Instead of letting his old age stop him, he modified the way he ministered by doing mobile outreaches and organizing seminars at the old people’s home he lived in. This is amazing, considering I know many people in their 50s that live and look like their life is over. Never retire from living in your ikigai.

Wabi-Sabi & Ichi-go Ichi-e

Ichi-go Ichi -e is the art of focusing on the present and enjoying each moment that life brings. In a world full of distractions it’s almost impossible to focus on the present or enjoy the task at hand without thinking of the next task or scrolling down social media. One way you can practice the art of ichi-go ichie is by putting your phone away and turning off screens when you are having your meals so that you can focus on enjoying your meal and being present. If we are not intentional about being present we will miss out on the good moments in life and moments we could treasure with our loved ones.

wabi-sabi is finding beauty in Imperfections. We may have expectations of how our lives should turn out and when we need to archive certain goals. We try and have a perfect body, and flawless skin the list goes on. Wabi-sabi allows you to see beauty in the flaws. Some people refer wabi-sabi to as wisdom in natural simplicity. Don’t wait for your life to be perfect for you to enjoy it. You can still enjoy your life while you wait to build your dream house, you can still enjoy your life while your wait to meet your spouse. Wabi-sabi teaches us to appreciate the beauty of imperfection as an opportunity for growth.

Stay Active

People in the village of Ogimi encourage staying active & exercise. They do not practice intense cardio and bodybuilding but they make sure their bodies stay active. Taking a walk each day and practicing light exercises like yoga, pilates, radio taiso, and tai chi will help you stay active. Making decisions like choosing to take the stairs instead of using an elevator will be helpful to your fitness journey as well. It is said that in Ogimi there are no trains, their residents walk or cycle when they are not driving and that helps them to stay active.

Nature Relationships

If relationships were not important for our well-being, we each would have had our planet right? In Ogimi they have a strong community that helps each other. In an interview, one woman mentioned ” Getting together with my friends is my most important ikigai. We all get together here and talk, it’s very important and that’s one of my favorite things in life” If we do not intentionally nature relationships we will grow to be sour and bitter old people that no one wants to be around. Cultivate good relationships to help you enjoy your long healthy life.

Be Intentional about your eating habits

Food is a major component that contributes to a long and healthy life. We have to be intentional about what we eat and how we consume it. The residents encourage people to eat until they are 80% full or until you are full but you can still take a little bit more. Overeating is said to wear our bodies down and increases fatigue.

Okinawa’s miracle diet

Grains are the foundation of their diet. They consume very little processed food and a lot of fruits and vegetables. Their beverages mostly consist of green tea and jasmine tea and they rarely eat sugar. Healthy spices and herbs are also a major part of their diet.

Practice gratitude and be thankful

This is my favorite part gratitude! being grateful helps with shifting your perspective to be more positive. People of Ogimi attribute gratitude to one of the reasons why they live a long and happy life.

some benefits of gratitude include

• boosts the immune system
• improves mental health
• reduces stress, burnout
• increases resilience
• helps with good sleep
• improves our relationships

I hope some of the tips from the book ikigai will help you with your personal growth journey and most importantly help you live a long and happy life.

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tanyafungai