Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Garcia Hector, Miralles Francesc

Bring meaning and joy to all your days with this internationally bestselling guide to the Japanese concept of ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy)--the happiness of always being busy--as revealed by the daily habits of the worlds longest-living people.

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 worlds longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai--the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect--means that each day is infused with meaning. Its the reason we get up in the morning. Its also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact theres no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because theyve found a real purpose in life--the happiness of always being busy.