The international bestseller “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret To a Long and Happy Life” by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles hit bookshelves in 2016 and was marketed as a self-help book for those looking for their purpose in life. (According to the authors, Ikigai — pronounced EE-KEY-GUY — means “the happiness of always being busy.”)
The Coles Notes for those who don’t own one of the 1.5 million copies sold: Ikigai represents a way of life that emphasizes finding purpose, fulfillment, and joy through the intersection of four key elements: Passion, mission, vocation and profession. By identifying and pursuing activities or endeavours that incorporate all of them, individuals can find their “raison d’etre.”
Finding one’s Ikigai is a daunting task for many. Still, Garcia and Miralles show us it may be easier than we think if we look at the relatively simple lifestyle of the residents of õgimi, a village located in the northern part of the main island of
