Ikigai

The book in 3 sentences: Purposefulness is a vital component of both long life and happiness. To live a long life, follow the advice of the world's oldest people. To remain healthy throughout your life, ensure you get enough exercise! Favorite quotes: “It's not what happens to you that matters, but how you react.” “A happy person is too content with the present to worry about the future.” “Appreciate the beauty of imperfection as an opportunity for growth.”

Key points:

Summary + notes: The Purpose of Life is the Secret to a Long Life

Would you like to live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life? Who wouldn't?

The answer to this can be found on the island of Okinawa, located in the southern part of Japan, where the most centenarians in the world live.

The secret to the islanders' long life can be explained by a single simple word: ikigai, which loosely translates to the reason for your existence – or the intrinsic motivation behind a specific professional endeavor.

It can also be defined as the intersection of four different elements: what you are passionate about, where your skills lie, how you can make a living from it, and what the world needs. Many Japanese believe that everyone is born with an ikigai, a destiny they must fulfill.

While some discover their ikigai early, others take time to find it. If you belong to the latter category, it's important to be patient; after all, ikigai will be what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning.

This is why the Okinawans often achieve a high degree of specialization and focus in their daily work. For example, writers encountered a skilled artisan in an Okinawan brush factory who had devoted his entire life to attaching individual hairs to brushes. By this stage in his career, he had developed remarkable skill in performing the task.