The Ikigai Journey - by Hector Garcia & Casa de Col on de Las Palmas (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In The Ikigai Journey, authors Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles take their international bestseller Ikigai: the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life a step further by showing you how to find your own ikigai through practical exercises, such as employing new habits and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Ikigai is the place where our passion (what we love), mission (what we hope to contribute), vocation (the gifts we have to offer the world) and profession (how our passions and talents can become a livelihood) converge, giving us a personal sense of meaning. This book helps you bring together all of these elements so that you can enjoy a balanced life.

Our ikigai is very similar to change: it is a constant that transforms depending on which phase of life we are in. Our "reason for being" is not the same at 15 as it is at 70. Through three sections, this book helps you to accept and embrace that--acting as a tool to revolutionize your future by helping you to understand the past, so you can enjoy your present.

• Section 1: Journey Through the Future: Tokyo (a symbol of modernity and innovation)
• Section 2: Journey Through the Past: Kyoto (an ancient capital moored in tradition)
• Section 3: Journey Through the Present: Ise (an ancient shrine that is destroyed and rebuilt every twenty years)

Japan has one of the longest life spans in the world, and the greatest number of centenarians--many of whom cite their strong sense of ikigai as the basis for their happiness and longevity. Unlike many "self-care" practices, which require setting aside time in an increasingly busy world, the ikigai method helps you find peace and fulfillment in your busy life.

Review Quotes

"From the authors of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life comes a sequel that goes beyond the concept of understanding and empowering all aspects of ikigai (one's purpose in life)...Beneficial for readers who find the concept of ikigai intriguing." --Library Journal

"...if one is always busy, how does one find [their ikigai]? This book, in a remarkable way, helps us do just that...very well worth acquiring and reading. Believe me, it WILL make you think and you WILL react." --Shakkei Journal

"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, The Ikigai Journey is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone and narrative style--making it an ideal and enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections." --Midwest Book Review

"I can HIGHLY recommend getting this book yourself...it's full of in-depth activities and questions that will really make you re-think your life, no matter what stage of self-development you're at." --The Travel Tester blog

"In their book, Garcia and Miralles take readers through 35 'stations' aimed at helping people find their ikigai...You don't need to go through all of the stations to find your ikigai. But the goal is that in trying at least some of them, you find some sort of fulfillment and life worth living." --SUCCESS Magazine

About the Author

Francesc Miralles is a lecturer and award-winning author of bestselling books in the areas of health and spirituality. Born in Barcelona, he studied journalism, English literature and German philology, and has worked as a translator, editor, art therapist and musician. His novel Love in Lowercase has been translated into 28 languages.

Hector Garcia was born in Spain and worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, his home of more than 15 years. In Japan he developed voice recognition software and the technology for young Silicon Valley companies to enter the Japanese market. His popular blog kirainet.com led to his internationally successful book A Geek In Japan.