How to Ikigai: Book Review
I was always fascinated by the term ikigai. So when I found out the popularity the book has been gaining, I thought, Why not read it as soon as possible? My reading habit is that if I need to read a book, I will open it, and I will only stop reading when I finish it.
The other option is that I will just keep my book around my bed. And I grab it whenever I get the urge to read it. So it may take months or years to complete.
I had read the book ‘How to Ikigai’ at the time I received it about 2/3 years ago. But after this gap, I wanted to read it again. The How to Ikigai book starts with the meaning of Ikigai. I tend to have forgotten the real meaning after surviving the COVID years.
So my curiosity rose once again after looking at the real meaning. Introductory chapters of the book ‘How to Ikigai’ were a revision for me about the real-term meaning. I just started to wonder what mine might be. It really makes you think about what you are doing with your life.
And it affected my thoughts for 3 or 4 days. So I just took a break from reading, even though these days really helped me rethink my life decisions once again. After constant thinking about my Ikigai, I think I found it. I guess it is my writing. I may not be the best at it. But I feel happy doing it. So I guess that’s what the term means.
I became really attached to Chapter 3 of the book ‘How to Ikigai’ with Slomo’s story. I was literally imagining the scene where Solmo is skating happily before my eyes. The inspiration for the longest honeymoon couple, HoneyTrek, made me visit their Instagram page and follow them.
A real thanks to the author, of the book ‘How to Ikigai’ Tim Tamashiro, for providing their Instagram ID. Oh my God, how can I forget about the quote from Dr. Seuss in Chapter 3? I fell in love again with that quote. (Is it normal, or am I just weird?) That quote made my day.
And about the part that mentioned childhood, The flashback of my happiest game passed my mind. It was a ring-ball game. I just remembered the joy while I played it. I wanted to buy that ring again. I even checked Amazon for them. And my order is coming next week.
In chapter 3, I loved the quote given by Miles Davis’s father, ‘You can’t sound like any other trumpet player’ when Mike decides to follow his Ikigai. It was really thought-provoking.
I think what I have been doing all these past weeks is taking the advice from Chapter 3. I.e., observing the things that make me attentive. I’m really finding interesting things about myself. Am I obsessing too much over this chapter?
“Human brain is a terrible guesser”. Yep, especially mine.
What it thinks of my happiness is not exactly my happiness. That was the logic I was looking for. And I found it in Chapters 4 and 5. And when I took a good look at the eight things that make us happier, I could agree with the majority of them.
I was amazed by the enemies of Ikigai. I was a victim of those 4’s.
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success
Fear of What others will think
Fear of discomfort
And after reading these I found out that it didn’t matter anyway. There is only one life. And it’s mine.
And my favourite quote was
“The secret for progress in anything is to come back tomorrow”
I was just wondering about the list of all things I have started and stopped just because I didn’t came back tomorrow. Oh No.. if I had continued any of 2 or 3 hobbies from that lot, it would have been so beneficial.
In conclusion, I can state with certainty that the book ‘How to Ikigai’ contain far more information than just these justifications. There’s no doubt you’ll love it. Without a doubt, it will improve your life.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Ikigai?
Ikigai is a concept from Japanese that combines the terms “iki,” which means “to live,” and “gai,” which means “reason.” As a result, the term means “a reason to live.”
2. Who is the author of How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life’s Purpose?
Tim Tamashiro