I K I G A

I K II IG
KK IIA
GGAIA
I KIGAI
I I
The Japanese Secret to
The Japanese Secret t
aT hLeoJnagp a n d
e sH
e aSpep
c ry eLt itfoe
a Long and Happy Life
T h e J a p aTnhees Jeaa S
pL o
cernseget Saten
aen ocdr eH
t taop p y L i f
HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

a Long and Happy Life

HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

Long and Happy Life

HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALL

HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

ÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

T r a nsla t ed by Heat her Cl ear y
I KIGAI

The art of
The Japanese Secret to
a Long and Happy Life

staying young while

HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

growing old
 What you
love

MI
N
IO

SS
SS

IO
PA

What What
you are IKIGAI
the world
good at needs
PR

N
O

O
FE

TI
CA
SS

VO
IO
N

What
you can be
paid for

Based
on a diagram by Mark Winn
From logotherapy to I K I G A I

How to live longer

The Japanese Secret to
a Long and Happy Life

and better by finding

HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

your purpose
Ten Differences Between Psychoanalysis and Logotherapy
Psychoanalysis Logotherapy
The patient reclines on a The patient sits facing the
couch, like a patient. therapist, who guides him or
her without passing
judgment.
Is retrospective: It looks to the Looks toward the future.
past.
Is introspective: It analyzes Does not delve into the
neuroses. patient’s neuroses.
The drive is toward pleasure. The drive is toward purpose
and meaning.
Centers on psychology. Includes a spiritual
dimension.
Works on psychogenic Also works on noogenic,
neuroses. or existential, neuroses.
Analyzes the unconscious Deals with conflicts when and
origin of conflicts where they arise
(instinctual dimension). (spiritual dimension).
Limits itself to the patient’s Also deals with spiritual
instincts. realities.
Is fundamentally incompatible Is compatible with faith.
with faith.
Seeks to reconcile conflicts and Seeks to help the patient find
satisfy impulses and instincts. meaning in his life and satisfy
his moral principles.
Find flow in everything you do
How to turn work and
free time into spaces
for growth
Strategy 1: Choose a difficult task (but not too difficult!)
Easy Challenging Beyond Our Abilities
Boredom Flow Anxiety

Strategy 2: Have a clear, concrete objective

Vague Objective Clearly Defined Obsessive Desire to
Objective and a Focus Achieve a Goal While
on Process Ignoring Process
Confusion; time and Flow Fixation on the objective
energy wasted on rather than getting down
meaningless tasks to business
Mental block Flow Mental block
 Concentrating on a Single Task
Makes achieving flow more likely
Increases productivity
Increases our power of retention
Makes us less likely to make mistakes
Helps us feel calm and in control of
the task at hand
Causes us to become more
considerate as we pay full attention to
those around us
Increases creativity
Advantages of Flow
A focused mind
Living in the present
We are free from worry
The hours fly by
We feel in control
We prepare thoroughly
We know what we should be doing at
any given moment
Our mind is clear and overcomes all We are plagued by doubts, concerns,
obstacles to the flow of thought
It’s pleasant
Our ego fades: We are not the ones
controlling the activity or task we’re
doing—the task is leading us
Multitasking
Makes achieving flow impossible
Decreases productivity by
60 percent (though it doesn’t
seem to)
Makes it harder to remember things
Makes us more likely to make
mistakes
Makes us feel stressed by the
sensation that we’re losing control,
that our tasks are controlling us
Causes us to hurt those around us
through our “addiction” to stimuli:
always checking our phones, always
on social media . . .
Reduces creativity
Disadvantages of Distraction
A wandering mind
Thinking about the past and the
future
Concerns about our daily life and the
people around us invade our thoughts
Every minute seems endless
We lose control and fail to complete
the task at hand, or other tasks or
people keep us from our work
We act without being prepared
We frequently get stuck and don’t
know how to proceed
and low self-esteem
It’s boring and exhausting
Constant self-criticism: Our ego is
present and we feel frustrated
The I K I G A I diet

What the world’s

The Japanese Secret to
a Long and Happy Life

longest-living people
HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

eat and drink

 LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE COUNTRIES
WHERE PEOPLE LIVE THE LONGEST, Okinawa
COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES Japan
Sweden
Life USA
expectancy
(L.E.)
85

80

75

70

65
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Source: World Health Organization, 1966; Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 2004;
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/CDC, 2005
Gentle movements, longer life
Exercises from the
East that promote
health and longevity
 Radio taiso

Basic version of the radio taiso exercises (5 minutes).

 How to do a Sun Salutation

Exhale
Inhale
Inhale

Exhale
Exhale

Inhale
Inhale

Exhale Hold
Inhale

Exhale
Imitating clouds
Earth

Water
Wood

Metal
 Fire

Completing the Series

Epilogue
I K I G A I : the art of living
The Japanese Secret to
Mitsuoa Aida
L o n g awas
n d Hone
a p p y of
L i fthe
e most important calligraphers and haikuists of
the twentieth century. He is yet another example of a Japanese person who
dedicated his life to a very specific ikigai: communicating emotions with
HÉCTOR GARCÍA AND FRANCESC MIRALLES

seventeen-syllable poems, using a shodo calligraphy brush.

Many of Aida’s haikus philosophize about the importance of the present
moment, and the passage of time. The poem reproduced below could be
translated as “In the here and now, the only thing in my life is your life.”

いまここにしかないわたし
のいのちあなたのいのち

In another poem, Aida writes simply, “Here, now.” It is an artwork that

seeks to evoke feelings of mono no aware (a melancholy appreciation of the
ephemeral).

いまここ

The following poem touches on one of the secrets of bringing ikigai into
our lives: “Happiness is always determined by your heart.”

しあわせはいつも自分の心がきめる

This last one, also by Aida, means “Keep going; don’t change your path.”

そのままでいいがな

Once you discover your ikigai, pursuing it and nurturing it every day will
bring meaning to your life. The moment your life has this purpose, you will
achieve a happy state of flow in all you do, like the calligrapher at his canvas
or the chef who, after half a century, still prepares sushi for his patrons with
love.