Photo by Edoardo Liotta
This week I came across a few different texts that shared the same message. The message was finding intentionality and living life with purpose. I started reading the book, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia. The book is about life in a small village called Ogimi which is located in Okinawa, Japan.
This village is significant because of the number of centenarians. Currently, there are 24 people over the age of 100! I don’t know about you, but I have not had the pleasure of knowing anyone in my life to reach that age.
After learning this statistic, my biggest question was how? How are people living to that age and still finding happiness? The answer to that question is the phrase “Ikigai.” Ikigai translates into the happiness of always being busy. The people of Ogimi live a life of purpose. They wake up everyday, go on a walk and take part in daily chores. They also spend their time with community and family members by playing games or practicing religion. The people of Ogimi eat a healthy diet, drink herbal tea, and prioritize exercise and rest.
They also live by the phrase “Ichariba Chodei,” which translates into treating everyone like a brother, even if you never met them before. This leaves little to no room for negative feelings of resentment of others. Instead it is the idea of acceptance of all people.
I believe that we can learn a thing or two from the people of Ogimi and find joy in the little things that we have around us everyday. What are some practices you live by that are similar to the people of Ogimi and what could you start to implement in your life?