Read about logotherapy, flow in part 3 here . Read entire series here .
“The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” ~ Washington Burnap
“There’s no secret to it. The trick is just to live.”
"Have an important purpose in life. have an ikigai, but don’t take it too seriously. Be relaxed and enjoy all that you do"
These quotes may help you understand their mindset. Live happily busy is their mantra. So they live long life.
Curious to know what world’s longest-living people eat and drink??
Their diet barely include meat. They eat less than ten grams of salt per day. They follow Hara hachi bu -- stop eating when 80percent stomach is full.
Resilience
How to face life’s challenges without letting stress and worry age you??
One thing that everyone with a clearly defined ikigai has in common is that they pursue their passion no matter what.
They never give up, even when the cards seem stacked against them or they face one hurdle after another.
Fall seven times, rise eight
Resilience isn’t just the ability to persevere but it is an outlook we can cultivate to stay focused on the important things in life rather than what is most urgent, and to keep ourselves from being carried away by negative emotions.
we all have to face difficult moments, and the way we do this can make a huge difference to our quality of life.
Resilience is our ability to deal with setbacks. The more resilient we are, the easier it will be to pick ourselves up and get back to what gives meaning to our lives.
Resilient people know how to stay focused on their objectives, on what matters, without giving in to discouragement. Their flexibility is the source of their strength: They know how to adapt to change and to reversals of fortune. They concentrate on the things they can control and don’t worry about those they can’t.
our pleasures and desires are not the problem. We can enjoy them as long as they don’t take control of us.
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
The answer to this question may help us develop resilence.
The present is all that exists, and it is the only thing we can control. Instead of worrying about the past or the future, we should appreciate things just as they are in the moment, in the now. We should never forget that everything we have and all the people we love will disappear at some point. This is something we should keep in mind, but without giving in to pessimism. Being aware of the impermanence of things does not have to make us sad; it should help us love the present moment and those who surround us.
Antifragility
Antifragility is beyond resilience. Antifragile are things That Gain from Disorder,
We use the word fragile to describe people, things, and organizations that are weakened when harmed, and the words robust and resilient for things that are able to withstand harm without weakening.
Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists
shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.”
Get stronger when harmed.
Steps to build antifragility.
- Step 1: Create redundancies
- Step 2: Bet conservatively in certain areas and take many small risks in others
- Step 3: Get rid of the things that make you fragile
To build resilience into our lives, we shouldn’t fear adversity, because each setback is an opportunity for growth.
If we adopt an antifragile attitude, we’ll find a way to get stronger with every blow, refining our lifestyle and staying focused on our ikigai.
Taleb writes “We need randomness, mess, adventures, uncertainty, self-discovery, hear traumatic episodes, all these things that make life worth living.”
Conclusion
Life is pure imperfection, but if you have a clear sense of your ikigai, each moment will hold so many possibilities that it will seem almost like an eternity.
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
Be led by your curiosity and intuition, and keep busy by doing things that fill you with meaning and happiness. It doesn’t need to be a big thing.
There is no perfect strategy to connecting with our ikigai. But what we learned from the Okinawans is that we should not worry too much about finding 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.