Ikigai - The Japanese Way

Here are the 5 principles of Ikigai from the book by Michael Moji, a neuroscientist, which I just read. 

1. Start Small
2. Release Yourself
3. Harmony and Sustainability
4. Joy in small things
5. Be in the Here and Now

1. START SMALL - The Japanese are famous for their many intricate products taking great pride in their many craftsmen and shops which have withstood sometimes hundreds of years of hardship, endeavor and sacrifice. They are very good at what they do, no matter whether it makes them just a little bit of income to get by. To strike it rich is not the end goal for many. 

Rather, it is doing the tasks of your job or your business as best as you can do it, if people see the love, devotion and effort they have put into it, then the product is their life's reward.

So start small and be good at doing these simple tasks.

2.RELEASE YOURSELF - I am guilty of an ego trip. I know it fully well and I will try to revert to being in the background letting my creation take shape and do the show. Many chocolate and sweet craftsmen make their creations painstakingly like Jiro Ono and while every creation is a little bit different, it is an oxymoron to say that their creations are uniquely different in each and every way that they are made. The creations give them a certain 'character' that is unique to every item, food or handicraft for example which we buy from them. 

The love that goes into the tasks are seen in the final end product. It is a work of art.

The best shoe there is for me, until the next edition, ASICS Kayano 25 

3. HARMONY AND SUSTAINABILITY - The things that Japanese do so well normally aim to create harmony and sustainability in the world around them. Hence the 'conformist' culture which is so prevalent in Japan in the past. The 'disruptive' technologies,fintech Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Bitcoin will come and they will go ; lets see which remains in the next 100 years or so. 

New things are nice, but chairs, tables, pens, cognitive use of one's brain, they will be around for the the longest time and we need to be in harmony and keep sustaining our small sphere of influence with the world around us. 

4. JOY IN SMALL THINGS - No this is not small victory celebrations but doing small tasks well on a daily basis will make us happy subconciously. Even making your own bed (I do mine) is a task I accomplished today. I take joy in doing this seemingly small thing though my wife says I still need some refinement in folding the quilt covers !

5. BE IN THE HERE AND NOW - Mindfulness. Spend your entire focus on doing what I need to get done at this point in time. No need to worry about whether it will rain tomorrow, or if I need to postpone my morning run tomorrow. If I have prepared myself well, in the small things, then preparing for all eventualities such as rain or waking up late I will learn to deal with it when the time comes.

Point 5 sounds rather  fluffy and without much thought, but the very essence of our being is to be without thought.

This "Zen" ness   calms people and with the calmness, the mind is more settled to think and free itself from the daily pressures.

I'm giving Ikigai a try for the coming months