GARCIA, HECTOR / MIRALLES FRANCESC
u201cOnly staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.u201d u2014Japanese proverbrn rnAccording to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigaiu2014a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the worldu2019s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigaiu2014where what you love, what youu2019re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlapu2014means that each day is infused with meaning. Itu2019s the reason we get up in the morning. Itu2019s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact thereu2019s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because theyu2019ve found a real purpose in lifeu2014the happiness of always being busy.
In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-oldsu2014one of the worldu2019s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, andu2014their best-kept secretu2014how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesnu2019t want to find happiness in every day?
