The best book I ever read

Hi, my name is Ishana. Reading books is one of my favorite pastimes. Usually I read fiction books, like
books written by Enid Blyton. The stories would have interesting characters that children of my age could
relate to. I have read several books written by her.

Recently, however, I read a very different book. Not a fiction, but a self-help book meant for grown-ups.
The book is called “Ikigai”. Ikigai is a book about the Japanese secret to a long and happy life and it is the
best book i have ever read.

The word Ikigai in Japanese means “the happiness of always being busy”. It seems to explain the long
and happy lives of Japanese. According to the Japanese, everyone has an Ikigai Some people have found
their Ikigai, while others are still looking for it.

Now I would like to tell you about the 4 most important aspects in the book.

The Ikigai Diet:

(i) Hara hachi bu – it means fill your belly to 80 percent. We should stop eating when
we are starting to feel full. Japanese have this habit of serving their meals on many
small plates which helps them to digest the food.
Gentle movements: It is not necessary that one needs to do tough exercises. In
Japan, most people do Radio Taiso A group exercise where everyone performs
simple movements for 5 to 10 minutes.

Maoi: Connected for Life: Another key aspect of the lives of people in Okinawa is the close
bonds they form within local communities.They celebrate all the time, even little things.

Finally, the most important aspect of living a long and happy life is about Finding Flow in
Everything We Do: All of us have experienced being completely immersed in what we are doing.
We have to focus on increasing the time we spend on activities that bring us to this state of flow.

Ikigai is different for all of us, but one thing we have in common is that we are all searching for
meaning. The Ten Rules of Ikigai:

1. Stay Active
2. Take it slow
 3. Don’t fill your stomach
4. Surround yourself with good friends
5. Get in shape for your next birthday
6. Smile
7. Reconnect with nature
8. Give thanks
9. Live in the moment
And finally,
10. Follow your Ikigai.

I would recommend that you read the book as I did. I am sure you will love it.

Thank you