Another Lesson from Ikigai

Hi there, and how is your festive celebration going?

I sincerely hope you are having the time of your life with the people you love, because that is what the festive season is all aboutel cebrating with the ones we love and plenty of eating and drinking as well. Well, in the past on my blog, I spoke about an exciting quote from the book Ikigai, like I always do, and this time I found a new quote I find interesting as well, and I would like to share it. It is something that a lot of people can easily relate to since we all have something in common more than we think.

“The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend more time than others in a state of flow.”

When I referred to the fact that we all as humans have a lot more in common than we think, this is what I was talking about. Every human, or at least most humans, long for a better life, with a big house, a fleet of cars, a fat bank accounts and more nice things we could use. Who would not like all these and more? Please tell me, or are you a robot? But here it gets tricky, these things can be mistaken for bringing true happiness when, in the light of things, it does not, at least to an extent. Let's be honest, happiness can be found in the nice things, but deep down, I think it is comfort. Being comfortable to attain all these things could be mistaken for happiness, but it is not. There are still certain voids that all these things cannot replace, like life itself, the presence of a loved one, and good health to some degree.

I have an opinion that, to some level, this might be what the author had in mind while writing the book. Although I cannot speak to what was in the author's mind at that time, I can say there is some explanation to the quote that is relatable. The quote breaks down the notion that we often chase promotion, new heights, a big house, cars, and more in the hope that we find the happiness that we seek, but then the book made me understand that the ones who are truly happy are the people who enjoy what they love doing.

To some extent, I see why I find this most joy when I play chess, at least when I am winning. It is hard to explain in exact words, but the game is beautiful to me, and there is a form of happiness that comes with it. This is something I love to do and obviously to write about. While the state of the flow is the ability to be present. It is not about the high things but being present in the enjoyment of your state of being in what you love. Is spending time with that person, being present in the activity, conversation, or whatever it may be, for this is where the happiness you seek may be found.

The book keeps opening up my mind to the appreciation of life and being here in existence, and above all, it kind of shares my notion of enjoying the simple things by being in the state of flow, which is being present in my words. These are the people who find the happiness they seek.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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Thanks For Reading!