Accept imperfection. Cherish the simple, the old, the flawed. Peace comes from letting go.

Wabi-Sabi Your Life

Don’t rush through life. The slower you move, the deeper you see. Focus on presence, not pace.

Take It Slow

A life of purpose keeps you young. Retire from your job, not from your passions. Stay curious. Stay useful.

Stay Active — Don’t Retire

Stop eating when you're 80% full. Simplicity in food = longevity in life.

Eat Light, Live Long

Friendship is medicine. Belonging is immunity. Share meals. Laugh daily. Loneliness is a slow killer.

Connect with Community

Lifelong learning is the fountain of youth. Read. Reflect. Ask questions. Curiosity keeps the spirit awake.

Keep Your Mind Young

Those who know why they wake up in the morning live longer, happier, more meaningful lives.

Purpose is the Real Anti-Aging Secret

Your ikigai is the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for."Only those who remain busy want to live forever."

Ikigai = Reason for Being

Do things that absorb you fully. Flow isn’t luxury — it’s your lifeline to joy and presence.“Flow is the secret to happiness.”

Find Flow Daily

Walk, garden, stretch, smile. Movement is joy — not punishment. Consistency > intensity.

Move Your Body Gently

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 1.5 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE “Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider   “One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) to live longer and bring more meaning and joy to all your days. “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb   According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?

books

Books

Hector Garcia was born in Spain in 1981 and has been living in Tokyo since 2004. During his spare time he writes aGeekinJapan.com, one of the most widely-read blogs in the world in Spanish and in English, as well as books about his experiences in Japan. He is the author of the bestsellers: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life and A Geek in Japan. You can find more of Hector's musings at ageekinjapan.com

Héctor García

Francesc Miralles Contijoch is a Catalan writer, essayist, translator, and musician.

Stay Active — Don’t Retire

Similar ideas to Stay Active — Don’t Retire

#4 Never Retire

Stay with whatever arises

How to retire early