Let's face it, this pandemic has been brutal, bringing down to their knees even the most resilient person at times. There comes a point where telling yourself other humans are suffering more than you offers no solace whatsoever and can even lead to the negation of one's own suffering.
With hope on the horizon, light at the end of the tunnel, comes the hard truth that the journey ahead remains dark and full of challenges. Throughout the pandemic, I have been aware that my health, mental physical and spiritual is the key to any future happiness life may hold.
As the days have been getting longer, I have stumbled on the idea of Ikigai, a Japanese concept particularly present in Okinawa, one of the world's blue zones where humans live long and healthy lives.
Where scientific studies on longevity are too specific, larger sociological data can offer us insight into the benefits of entire lifestyles, making people curious about how people live in these blue zones. From diet to philosophy, habits to intergenerational relations, everything has to be taken into account when looking at the secrets to longevity.
Let's be honest, no one wants to live a long but unhealthy lives. Maybe some will cling to their existence out of fear of the unknown yet there comes a point where pain erodes the very meaning of journeying through the decades. The fact that the island of Okinawa boasts low rates of dementia in the elderly, making for an active population which practices agriculture well into their years is a very attractive thought. Aside from the auspicious tropical climate these people enjoy, what else can we bring into our lives that would be enriching in a sustainable and long-lasting way?
Today I went on a long mindful walk. I smiled to as many people as possible and saw these mini plants. They could fit between my window and the blinds, within the anti-theft fence. I thought to myself, “If I still want them a week from now, then I will buy them.” More simplicity, less purchases.
When talking about Ikigai, you quickly hear the word Moai. It is a form of community centred around a mutual fund which gives life to a shared hobby, the surplus of which can be used in solidarity to any member in need. It requires a level of transparency that would easily cause conflict if not engrained in the local culture as it is in Okinawa. By how they were raised, they learned to have a healthy relationship to money or at least, the coin involved in the Moai.
Unbeknownst to us all, the internet is one such mutual fund. It may seem inexpensive or even free but it is not, it is actually very costly to run. I like the idea that by creating genuine online communities, like my Queer Men Yoga for example, there is a Moai effect. I can see how one man offers their Pro Zoom account for another member's activity, etc.
When our teacher Peter needed to take a break and the brotherhood stepped up to preserve our bonds of friendship, I knew that this was very special.
I wrote about Sacred Harp recently, my mother's Moai. She is the treasurer for the group, making sure the rent is paid and even now, she has booked the loft for her own art exploration, keeping the seat warm for when the choir is possible again.
Whenever you take time for yourself, chose to be active or to increase your vegetable consumption, especially with cruciferous greens, you are strengthening your Ikigai. Some people translate it as reason for living but I much prefer to call it my purposeful living.
It actually has little to do with the meaning of existence which, in my opinion, requires large amount of misanthropy to grasp, kudos to my French existentialist philosophers here for even trying. Instead, it is about flowing with life.
Perhaps with the pandemic, we have become more aware that our relationship to our devices, especially the ones comprising screens, can be improved. It can be used more purposefully.
If you had told me as a teenager that my self esteem would be tied to the likes I got on the internet I would have laughed at you. In a sense, my Ikigai came more naturally in that era, I am 36 years old.
To recondition myself not to care what people think seems almost impossible now, given the behavioural psychology behind social media interfaces, the fundamentally addictive character of it all. The infinite scroll and refresh, for example.
However, it is a challenge that I am willing to tackle and here are 3 ways I wish to go about it.
1) Avoid looking at my phone constantly
2) Make content about mindfulness like this write-up
3) Laugh more, especially away from the screen. Maybe start some solo laughter yoga
To know when you have given just enough thought to the bad things that could happen, no more, no less, is much easier said than done. It is key in Ikigai to be realistic and to recognize when to let go. To have compassion but to realize when you can't help.
When you smile to strangers, say hi on the street, you are being a warrior of light. You have the calm serenity that has the power to, slowly but surely, make the world a better place. If I'm wrong here, at least you can have a lot more fun here on Earth so whether J. P. Sartre who famously proclaimed that hell is other people, or Ikigai holds the secret to the meaning of life, it matters very little, it's about how you want to spend your days.
Love all the nuggets of wisdom you have in here, the importance of flow and the importance of letting go of our ego, that need to be liked. I had never heard of Ikigai, so thank you for sharing that. I agree our health and well being all comes down to how we choose to spend our days. xxxx
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My dearest @trucklife-family, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and wish you a beautiful day!
I cannot tell you how much I love this post. It's beautiful, and stands as a testament to the compassionate, conscious, thoughtful warrior of light that you are.
Let's keep fighting the good fight!
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