Ikigai for Teens: Finding Your Reason for Being

Description

A bestselling motivational book based on the Japanese concept of finding happiness in everyday life, now for young readers! The Japanese people say everybody has an "Ikigai," or a reason to live. Some people have found their Ikigai and are aware of it. Other people have it inside, but have not found it yet. This concept, Ikigai, is one of the secrets for a long, active, and happy life. Héctor García and Francesc Miralles visited Ogimi, a town on the north of Okinawa in Japan that has the highest longevity in the world. They spent weeks living with the residents of Ogimi and interviewing dozens of the villagers. These people all had lived to be more than a hundred years old, and they were all in great physical (and spiritual) shape. After their trip, Héctor and Francesc wrote a book examining the centennials' keys to an optimistic and vital existence. What do the oldest people in the world eat, what do they work on, how do they connect with others, and-the best-kept secret-how do they find their Ikigai? Ikigai is what gives them satisfaction and happiness, and brings real meaning to their lives. The result was Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life , an international bestseller which has been translated into over 49 languages. With the book, García and Miralles made it their mission to help its readers find their own Ikigai and discover many keys of Japanese philosophy to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. They have now adapted their bestselling book for young readers. Young adults can find their Ikigai too! Review: I recommend! - Every teen can benefit from reading this book. Review: Excellent motivator for young teens! - As an 8th-grade language arts teacher, when I first heard about this book I was excited because I thought it would be a perfect start to our district's career research unit. However, I read it carefully because sometimes similar books have had religious messages, and as a public school teacher, I need to avoid that. I was really excited when I read this cover-to-cover and discovered that it was a very simple way to teach young teens how to think about their career paths. I think it ties in nicely with a career research unit and provides great ideas for writing reflection prompts and discussion topics for my 8th-graders. I can't wait to incorporate it into our curriculum!