Ikigai, Wabi-sabi, Ichi-go ichi-e- jargons! No;They are Japanese strategies to lead a long and happy life.

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Let us begin with what the Dalai Lama has said-

       The purpose of life is to be happy.

Everyone wants to live a long and happy life. But not everyone does the needful to that end. 

The reason for that lies in the fact that it requires a conscious effort to be healthy and happy. 

Also we, either out of ignorance or lack of aptitude to reflect upon, fail to explore ourselves that may provide us clue to be healthy and happy.

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Recently I happened to read a book titled "Ikigai" by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles.

The book is said to be an international bestseller and it deals with Japanese secret to a long and happy life.

          The authors,without defining the term  Ikigai say that everyone has an Ikigai- a reason to jump out of bed each morning.

What prompted the duo to come out with this book was their findings based on  extensive tour that they took together across the country of Japan. 

They noted with surprise that Japanese have extraordinary longevity, especially the island of Okinawa, whose 25 percent inhabitants are over the age of 100 years. 

                         In order to probe further and in course of explaining their extraordinary longevity they interviewed thousands of these supercentarians when they concluded-

                   *that long and happy life of the people of Okinawa was more a choice than a chance.

           As they explored the matter further, they discovered that one place in particular, Ogimi,a rural town on the north end of the island with a population of three thousand, has the highest life expectancy in the world. Due to this this village Ogimi is called the Village of Longevity. 

           They also discovered that Okinawans live by the principle of ichariba chode, a local expression that means "treat everyone like a brother, even if you have never met them before."

                  * There's a mysterious word Ikigai that has much to do with their happiness and longevity.

                 Though Ikigai of different people is uniquely different; the term may be explained by way of recognising the reason that drives one to up his ante and remain in a substantially positive and active mode.

              The authors reaffirm that the day a person finds his/her "ikigai" her/his life becomes a joyous journey instead of a load to carry with. 

So everyone must find what is his ikigai if he has not found it yet.

The Ikigai is a Japanese word with multiple  meanings but all converge to convey "the happiness of always being busy". 

No; it is a step further; it is being joyfully busy.

A yet another meaning of this mysterious word could be reason to exist comparable to french raison d etre. So everybody must have a reason to exist. This purpose to life. A life without purpose is not only undesirable but unthinkable as well. 

                     The Japanese believe that everyone has an Ikigai. This helps seeking purpose to life.

Some people have found their IKIGAI, while others are still looking, though they carry it within them. 

                      The authors found that people of Okinawa have found their Ikigai hence they live long;that too happily and with a sense of enduring satisfaction.

We too need to identify and clearly define our Ikigai by improving

our physical as well as mental activities------ 

             (I) THAT KEEP US ABSORBED

                  Only those activities can keep us absorbed that bring with themselves happiness of sorts. We have to research what are these activities that keep us oblivious of the time that gets consumed in performance of such activities. For such types of activities there's no future, no past. There's only present. Technically we call it "flow" where distractions of multiple nature simply fail to disturb that flow.

             The authors have pointed out the following seven conditions for Achieving that Flow-

   The requirements for achieving flow are-

    1. Knowing what to do

    2. Knowing how to do it

    3.Knowing how well you are doing

    4.Knowing where to go

    5. Perceiving significant challenges

    6.Perceiving significant skills

    7.Being free from distractions.

Towards fulfilling the above the authors have suggested-

          @ Choose a difficult task (but not too difficult!)

          @ Have a clear and concrete objective

                  "Days, weeks, and months pass and the writer still has not gotten anything down on the pages, when all it would have taken was to sit down and get that first word out,then the second......to flow with the project,expressing her Ikigai. 

                     As soon as you take these first small steps, your anxiety will disappear and you will achieve a pleasant flow in the activities you are doing."

             (II) THAT SLOW OUR AGING PROCESS-

It means giving your brain a workout. We need to know that our brain needs a lot of stimulation in order to stay in shape. Presented with new information the brain creates new connections and is revitalized. That is why it is so important to being exposed to change.This, they say,is art of staying young while growing old.

             (III) THAT REDUCE STRESS AND MAKE US ANTI-FRAGILE.

     Though a little stress is useful to our growth a plenty of it detrimental. Our health is affected in the most unanticipated way with the volume of stress we are subject to.

But sooner or later, we all have to face stress or difficult moment in our life.

Here resilience comes to our help. It helps us treating stress as an opportunity to explore alternative and explore our potential.  

One thing is common to all the people who have got their IKIGAI properly identified and defined.That is in the face of stress or other adversities they never give up their passion, even when the cards seem stacked highly against them. They only put their passion on hold for sometime only.

People with clear idea of their Ikigai are anti-fragile.They keep in their minds that what is the worst thing that could happen. This attitude makes them resistant to being brittle or fragile. They develop emotional resilience by meditation or practice. By resilience we mean our ability to deal with the setback. 

In course of dealing with the emotional resilience the authors have tried to explain the two Japanese concepts-

            Wabi-sabi and ichi-go ichi-e 

While Wabi-sabi,in short, refers to looking for beauty in things that are flawed and incomplete instead of searching for beauty in perfection the word ichi-go ichi-e is a complementary concept which could be translated as "This moment exists only now and won't come again" 

So Japanese don't die for permanence or perfection, rather they are inclined to improve their quality of present moment, things.

Ichi go ichi e teaches them to focus on present and enjoy each moment that life brings for them

Wabi-sabi teach them to appreciate the beauty of imperfection as an opportunity for growth.

           (IV) THAT KEEP US MOVING AND ACTIVE 

We need to know (rather realise)that sedentary lifestyle or behaviour is a well known source of numerous diseases which in turn affect longevity. 

               Towards this

             * Walk to work or just go on a walk 

             * Use of feet instead of an elevator or escalator

             * right amount of sleep

             * eating less than full stomach

             * being conscious of one's daily routine could be, inter alia, of great help to stay healthy.

           In the end we find in the book 10 rules of IKIGAI formulated by way of distilling from the wisdom of the long-living residents of Ogimi:

1.Stay active; don't retire.- those who give up the things they love doing lose their purpose of life. 

2.Take it slow- Being in a hurry is inversely proportional to quality of life. So walk slowly and you will go far. 

3.Don't fill your stomach- Less is more when it comes for eating for long life. 

4.Surround yourself with good friends- Friends are best medicine. Besides, they brighten your day and lighten your load through advice, help,fun etc. All this constitutes living happily. 

5.Get in shape for your next birthday- Water moves,it is at its best when it flows fresh and doesn't stagnate. So maintain your body by several  ways including exercise. They make us feel good through harmonal releases. 

6.Smile- it lightens environment we are supposed to tackle with the wit we may have.

7.Reconnect with nature- Develop relationship with nature in this world where we happen to become distant from the beauty of nature by compulsion of sorts. Horticultural activities make us feel good and happy.

8.Give thanks-spend a moment everyday giving thanks and see your stockpile of happiness growing. Appreciate the beauty in imperfection and make it a reason to work upon this imperfection to improve if you can. (Wabi-sabi).

9.Live in the present moment(ichi go ichi e)-Stop regretting the past and fearing the future. Today is all you have.Make the most of it.

10.Follow your IKIGAI- you can find your IKIGAI by attempting to answer the following questions-

      *What you love

      **What you are good at

      ***What you can be paid for

      **** What the world needs

There's a passion inside you,a unique talent that gives meaning to your days. 

    "If you don't know what your IKIGAI is yet, your mission is to discover it"-Victor Frankl.

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         Thanks for ceding your valuable time to read the article in which I tried to distil the content of the book I mentioned.

                                             R.R.Prabhakar.

                                                20.10.2021.