IKIGAI is a 200 paged book co-authored by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, giving a brief overview of the people of Okinawa, Japan who stay happy, are physically fit, and live way longer than the rest of the world. The reason behind this, which they would like to call is their IKIGAI, has made their lives happier and cheerful.

In this book, the term IKIGAI can be referred to as the bliss of always being busy. IKIGAI is a Japanese concept meaning things you live for or the reason for which you wake up in the morning. According to the Japanese, everyone has an IKIGAI and it differs from people to people. Some people have found their IKIGAI, while others are still searching for it without knowing that they are carrying it within themselves. People who have found their IKIGAI tend to live a merrier life.

This book encourages readers to find their IKIGAI so that they can give meaning to their lives. To find one’s IKIGAI, the writer has suggested that the readers ask themselves these simple questions.
1.    What are your strengths? 
To find your strength, the questions you should ask yourself is what is your strongest point in life, what are the fields or things you are good at, and what makes you unique from others?

2.    What does the world need?
Try to figure out what the world needs the most at the moment. If you can supply the elements that the world is demanding, then you can lead to a successful life.

3.    What are your passions?
What is the one thing that you can do any time without complaining?

4.    What can you earn a living doing?
What is that one thing that can help you earn money by doing the things you love the most?

The common answer from all of these questions is what we call an IKIGAI. IKIGAI is a combination of your passion, mission, and profession. Once we discover our IKIGAI, pursuing and nurturing it every day will bring meaning to our lives.

Some of my favorite lines from this book are:
“Our IKIGAI is different for all of us, but one thing we have in common is that we are all searching for meaning”
“There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don’t know what your IKIGAI is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, your mission is to discover it.”
“Life is not a problem to be solved. Just remember to have something that keeps you busy doing what you love while being surrounded by the people who love you”.

This book talks about everything from a good diet to exercise to finding a purpose in life to forming a strong social bond. It is extremely inspiring and full of good content. If you are looking for an inspirational book, I suggest you try reading this.