Preeti Roy

Recently I've finished reading this book— IKAGAI (The Japanese Secret of Long and Happy Life), and I'm not exaggerating when I say it is literally life changing. This book is written so well, and it discusses issues that I'm pretty sure all of us are facing today. It can be very difficult to find your 'ikagai' in today's materialistic and chaotic world — your motivation to get out of bed every morning, something that makes you happy. Yet in this universe there are people who are over a hundred years old, healthy and happy, doing what they enjoy! If they can be so passionate at their age, why not us? This book teaches so many lessons on how to nurture our friendships and how to conquer our personal anxieties and fear in order to live a happy and fulfilling life. A relevant line from the book that struck a chord with me is -'being aware of the impermanence of things does not have to make us sad; it should help us love the present and those who surround us. ‘This is a very important lesson, because there are certain things in life we can't change no matter how hard we try, and we have to learn to be happy inspite of that. If we let ourselves be dominated by the past and fear about the future it will kill us. The present is the most important time of all, and we have to focus on that. Even if you haven't found something you're passionate about, it's okay. It will take time, but you'll find it. The wait would've been worth it until you find your ikagai. The simplest things are often the most beautiful, and this book is the perfect example of this fact. ‘Eat right, exercise, and do what makes you happy'...by following this motto, we can definitely find our 'ikagai', our reason to live.