My husband rarely reads a book, but a number of years ago while out driving and listening to the radio, Chris Evans mentioned “The Little Book of Ikigai – by Ken Mogi” and how this book help transform his way of thinking about life.

My husband called me and asked me to order the book and a few days later it arrived. To my surprise he started reading it immediately and within a couple of days he had read it from cover to cover (it is only a small paperback and less than 200 pages long). 

One of the main reasons he found it easy to engage with, was it uses real life examples of people who follow the Ikigai philosophy and how it has had a positive impact on their life.

His general outlook on life seemed to change from that day onwards. Appreciating everything that we have, the small things in life and taking each day for what it is.

The book focusses on the Five Pillars of Ikigai:

• Starting small
• Releasing yourself
• Harmony & sustainability
• The joy of little things
• Being in the here and now

Now let me make it very clear, and if you have met Tim you will certainly know this, he is one of the least spiritual or religious people you will ever meet but obviously something touched him.

If you are currently struggling in these tough times, it may be worth a read, as it claims it has the potential to change your life and make you happier by showing you how to start small, find your flow, discover your passion and look for joy in the little things.

From my own personal experience it’s certainly made my husband look at life from a different perspective.