REASON FOR BEING


Hector Garcia & Francesa Miralles (2016). 

                            Ikigai: 

                            The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life


The authors interviewed people of Ogami (the northern end of Okinawa Islands, Japan), who have some of the longest life expectancies in the world. They discovered this unique Japanese word, Ikigai (short definition: our reason for being), which they define as a combination of what you love, what you're good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs.

They borrow from Victor Frankel's logotherapy, highlighting the essential need to find/make meaning in life, and Morita therapy which uses isolation and rest and light occupations (e.g., gardening and drawing) before returning to the world...the therapy is designed to achieve "flow by doing" one thing at a time...cultivating microflow, mindfulness, and healthy daily rituals.


The secret of longevity is ikigai achieved through (see how many of these practices you can incorporate into your life):

  • create and maintain year round vegetable garden (note: there are ways to garden in the snow with "hot beds" that do not require any electricity)
  • eat the rainbow of colors (mostly vegetales) and drink green tea every day

  • engage in: tai chi, qi gong, shiatsu joint massage, and meditation (google "radio taiso" for starters--it's fun and takes less than 4 minutes)

  • gratitude for ichi-go-ichi-e ("for this time only" or "once in a lifetime", ultimately treasuring each moment as a unique and unrepeatable...the magical present moment that never returns)

  • engage in tasks that one enjoys, that allows for flow (https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/), that are of service to others

  • celebrate everything (make excuses to celebrate whatever you can, wherever you can, with whomever you can), connect with nature and friends

 


 

 

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