Yesterday’s post defined the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which means ‘reason for being.’ In today’s post, we explore 10 Rules of Ikigai brought to us by authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles in their book entitled “IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret To a Long and Happy Life.”
- Stay active; don’t retire. This is about finding value is our lives outside of when our professional lives end. It is about the activities we choose that allow us to bring purpose into our lives.
- Take it slow. We feel more grounded when we have the sense of urgency under control.
- Don’t fill your stomach. “Less is more when it comes to eating for long life, too. According to the 80 percent rule, in order to stay healthier longer, we should eat a little less than our hunger demands instead of stuffing ourselves.”
- Surround yourself with good friends. Ikigai is found in interpersonal relationships; when we devote time to our friendships, it brings value to our lives.
- Get in shape for your next birthday. “Water moves; it is at its best when it flows fresh and doesn’t stagnate. The body you move through in life needs a bit of daily maintenance to keep it running for a long time.”
- Smile. When we smile we remind ourselves of our blessings.
- Reconnect with nature. Being in nature brings us peace; it helps us to feel settled and feeds our soul.
- Give thanks. Spending time each day to be grateful allows us recognize the good things that surround us.
- Live in the moment. When we are mindful of the here and now, we tend to be less anxious about the future as well as less focused on what happened yesterday.
- Follow your Ikigai. The small things we seek, as well as our big picture goals will help us to follow our reason for being.
The 10 Rules of Ikigai is a reminder that we can create lifelong habits that create a value system filled with meaning and purpose.
Information for this post was found at https://ikigaitribe.com/ikigai/the-10-rules-of-ikigai/
Like this post? Consider subscribing!
Photo credit: http://Photo by Walter Mario Stein on Unsplash