Ikigai: Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia

 

"Ikigai" sounds a bit unusual at first, doesn’t it? It's a Japanese word that beautifully translates to a reason to live.  But it's more than just a word. It’s an emotion. A quiet force that pushes us forward. Something personal that gives meaning to everyday life.

This book is not your typical self-help guide. It doesn’t throw advice at you and ask you to follow. It gently takes you through the lives of people in a small village in Okinawa, Japan, where people live long, smile more, and carry lightness in their hearts. Not because they chase happiness, but because they live with purpose.

Ikigai is not about suddenly finding one big goal. It’s about understanding yourself slowly and deeply. It makes you pause and ask, What makes me feel alive? What gives me joy? Because without knowing who we are, nothing meaningful begins.

The authors share real-life stories from Okinawa — a place where even the elders in their 90s stay active, engaged, and purposeful. It’s not magic. It’s their way of life. A life built on community, routine, and small joys. They don’t just exist. They live.

And as the world spins faster and faster, and we chase instant results, maybe we need to slow down. Maybe we need to stop surviving and start living again.

“Being in a hurry is inversely proportional to the quality of life.”

Here are a few gentle reminders from the book

• Stay active - Never stop being curious or involved
• Take it slow - Don’t rush through life
• Eat light - Follow Hara Hachi Bu — eat until you're 80 percent full
• Connect with others - Relationships heal more than we know
• Smile more - A warm heart makes the journey lighter
• Live in the moment - This moment is all we truly have
• Find flow - Do things that absorb you and bring joy

Even if we read every idea in this book, nothing changes until we discover what truly makes us happy. The book doesn’t give quick fixes. It gives simple practices and deep thoughts that can help us live better, one day at a time.

Because Ikigai is not something we find. It is something we live.

“Find a purpose, pursue it with passion, and you’ll never retire.”