🌸 Ikigai in a Fast-Paced World

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Reflections from an island girl learning to slow down but still glow up

I just finished reading Ikigai — and honestly, this book doesn’t just teach you how to live longer. It teaches you how to live better.

It’s soft and calming, yet deeply powerful. The kind of book that makes you question your pace, your habits, and even your purpose.

The Okinawans, who inspired the book, live in this beautiful rhythm — slow mornings, meaningful movement, laughter, gratitude, and purpose that flows gently through their days.

Meanwhile, here I am — juggling work, family, fitness, social life, goals, and an endless to-do list. I do what I love, but I can’t seem to slow down. My life feels like a checklist that constantly needs to be ticked off.

That’s where the struggle lies, my beautiful people. Ikigai tells me to live with calm, but I live in motion.
Still, the more I read, the more I realized — maybe Ikigai isn’t about slowing down completely. Maybe it’s about finding peace in the pace I already live in.

🌿 1. Stay active, don’t retire

Okinawans believe that movement keeps you alive — not just physically, but emotionally.

Here in Mauritius, our parents unknowingly live by this. They move constantly — cooking, cleaning, gardening, caring for others. Their activity is woven into their everyday lives.

But for them, movement is duty.
For us, it’s self-care.

Maybe the balance is in honouring both — doing what needs to be done, but also doing what keeps our hearts alive, you know. 

☕️ 2. Take it slow

This one is my biggest challenge.

I’ve built a lifestyle where speed feels normal. I thrive in chaos, yet crave calm.
But slowing down doesn’t mean doing less — it means being more present while doing what you love.

Maybe I don’t need to stop chasing things — maybe I just need to stop rushing through them.

🥢 3. Don’t fill your stomach

Eat with gratitude, not greed.
That one simple principle says a lot about how we live.

Our grandmas knew what it meant to eat light, to sip herbal tea after dinner, to listen to the body. Today, with all the rush and all the good food available, we forget that food is fuel — not filler.

👭 4. Surround yourself with good friends

In Okinawa, they have moai — small lifelong circles of friends who support each other.

We have that too, in our Mauritian way — the family gatherings, tea-time laughs, Sunday lunches that turn into whole-day stories.

But as we grow busier, friendships fade into texts and missed calls.
Maybe part of finding our ikigai is making time for the people who remind us of who we are.

💪 5. Get in shape for your next birthday

When I tell my mom I’m going to the gym, she frowns and says,

“To pan assez galoupé pu zordi?!” (“Haven't you already done enough running around for today?!”)

For her, strength means working through the day without complaining.
For me, strength means lifting, sweating, moving — not just to look good, but to feel strong.

Different generations. Same goal: longevity.

😊 6. Smile

A smile is the simplest way to lift the spirit — yet the easiest to forget when life gets heavy.

The Okinawans smile through everything. They know that joy isn’t the absence of problems; it’s the ability to keep your heart light despite them.

Maybe smiling is our best form of resilience. And this is what I do the best: Smilllleee :)

🌸 7. Reconnect with nature

We live on one of the most beautiful islands in the world — beaches, mountains, sunrise views that look like paintings.

But how often do we truly take it in?
Sometimes reconnecting with nature doesn’t mean a grand hike — it’s just stepping outside barefoot, feeling the grass, watching the sky change colors, or going on a long drive.

Nature heals in quiet ways.

🙏 8. Give thanks

Gratitude doesn’t have to be dramatic. It’s in the tiny moments — your morning coffee, a quiet drive, your body’s strength, the people who show up for you.

Our grandparents prayed out of habit. We can too — not out of obligation, but appreciation.

🕰 9. Live in the moment

Our parents love to reminisce — “before was better.”
We, on the other hand, are always looking ahead — the next goal, the next trip, the next thing.

But Ikigai teaches that happiness lives in the now.
Maybe the “good old days” are not behind us. Maybe they’re happening right here.

💖 10. Follow your Ikigai

Your Ikigai — your reason for being — doesn’t have to be one grand purpose.
It can be a collection of little joys that make your life yours: your work, your passions, your family, your peace, your coffee ritual, your gym sessions, your laughter.

For me, my Ikigai changes with time — but it’s always rooted in what keeps my heart aligned.

🌺 Our Mauritian version of Ikigai

We don’t need to copy the Okinawan lifestyle to embrace its wisdom.
We just need to find our own rhythm within it.

Our Mauritian Ikigai might look like this:

  • Sunday family lunches that feed more than just our stomachs.

  • Evening beach walks with salty air and unfiltered laughter.

  • Caring for others without forgetting ourselves.

  • Moving our bodies not out of guilt, but gratitude.

  • Living passionately — even when it’s fast-paced.

Maybe Ikigai isn’t about doing less.
Maybe it’s about doing everything — but with love, intention, and grace.

Because peace doesn’t always come from slowing down.
Sometimes, it’s found in the beautiful chaos we choose to create. 💕

Until next time, 


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