Japanese Ikigai: 3 Methods to Finding Your Reason and Longevity

In a tiny village, on a remote island, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there is a special place called Ogimi. In a modest house, an old lady opens the curtains, letting the sun sparks flood inside. A new day has been given to her as a gift. A day that she welcomes with the best of gratitude. Letting the sun embrace her face for a short moment, she looks at the window and admires her lifespan achievement. She opens a door into the light and a view that makes her feel like a reborn. A garden, so fruitful and colorful, an image of a piece of Eden. This unique place has a hidden secret inside. It’s the power of this woman’s life and the well for longevity.

Find a Reason to Get Up

I was fascinated when I first read the book: ‘Ikigai -the Japanese secret to a Long and Happy Life.’ In Okinawa, Japan, people not only live the longest but also have happy lives. Everyone has their garden, where they grow a variety of vegetables. Every day, they know what they do, and their passion for decades has been to take care of fruits and vegetables that nourish their daily lives.

You need your own passion to get up in the morning. You need something to feed your creativity and feel a sense of progress in your life. However, opening your phone first in the morning and comparing your life with others through social media is an illusion that takes you in the wrong direction. Instead, you must follow your genuine desire to pursue your greatest aspirations daily. Whenever you have a purpose, you find meaning in everything.

Spend Time with Right People

In this village, people avoid conflicts and want to contribute to the common good. Okinawa feels like a safe haven, where all risks have been mitigated, and everyone seeks to live a balanced life. Although I want to do things my way, there is much to take from their communal spirit.

When I think about western societies, people do help you sometimes. Still, everything extra in your life is seen as burdensome. People are stressed by the demands and expectations around them. Because the attitude generally is that you need to benefit somehow from everything that you do, there is no genuine good spirit spreading with this mentality.

In Okinawa, these people celebrate every tiny milestone in their lives. Every week someone has a reason to celebrate, and everyone is invited for a dance and tea. In this way, life feels like one big celebration, and there is always something to look forward to. This strengthens social relations and mental wellbeing.

Unfortunately, western culture is very different. In Finland, people often have the idea of getting heavily wasted as a form of celebration. Heavy consumption of alcohol doesn’t improve your health and can even cause depression.

Take care of Your Mental, Spiritual and Physical Wellbeing

People in Okinawa don’t do heavy exercise, but they do daily movement. They’re working on their vegetable gardens and stretching right from the morning. They don’t sit down for extended times, but action is part of their entire day.

Meditation is a word that is odd to many people. It’s about being mindful in the moment and concentrating on shutting out the world around you. Being in a quiet place for only five minutes every day, focusing on your breath, and becoming conscious of your thoughts can improve your wellbeing.

Spirituality and concentrating on positive things in your life, such as gratitude, is a complete game-changer. You only find content and happiness at the moment where you are. It cannot be found in the past or future. So you need to focus daily on profoundly thinking about what you have and all things that have true meaning in your life.

For many people exercising is overperforming and can sometimes create more stress. When you add more consciousness to your body, you can find balanced training to support your current mental state. Overall well-being is achieved through listening to your mind, body, and spirit and what they need. I don’t know about you, but I see the vision of myself visiting this magical island one day.

With love,
Jenna

Founder of Thejennablog, Author of ‘The Scammer’s Trap’

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