Ikigai

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

Now that I finally visited Okinawa, the place where people live longer and happier, I came to few conclusions.

Aside from the obvious external things that can affect your longevity (diet, climate, pollution…) there’s one thing that resides deep inside each of us that can be a fuel to live longer and happier:

Ikigai, or a purpose.

Many older people in Okinawa still hold a craft, which keeps them socially and physically active. And I realized they truly connect with this craft. They dedicate time to it, not in a slow but a conscious way. Paying attention to the details, immersing into the process.

Modern people use the term “slow life”, but for Okinawans is simply “life”.

Ikigai is not only doing what you love but also having a sense of belonging. If what you do is meaningful, this can be a driver to keep going for years and years…