How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose

Summary

Ancient, time-tested wisdom: Okinawa, Japan, is a tiny, tiny island south of the Japanese mainland where people live their life's purpose every day. How is it possible for so many to live each day in such meaningful ways? The Okinawan concept of Ikigai.

Magical reality come to life: David Michiels stuttered severely well into his adulthood. In clinical terms, his stutter was difficult to treat. But David started to work in a liquor store. Before long, his focus turned to one specific section of the sales floor: the scotch section. As he spent more of his days learning about scotch, he began to share his knowledge with customers. Eventually, David noticed that his stutter vanished when he talked to anyone about scotch. Over time, David's passion led to a new life. Today, he is a renowned whiskey expert, traveling the world tasting and purchasing whiskey on behalf of his employer. He feels his life is meaningful because of ikigai.

A humble look at happiness: Bringing together an exploration of joy not unlike that of The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a look inward reminiscent of The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, and deep truths like those explored by Singer in The Surrender Experiment, How to Ikigai describes the concept of Ikigai with clarity and meaning.