Just thoughts

  I have no idea why I decided to read this book, but I think something about the name 'Little Women' struck me as unique in a way. And now I am thankful to my instincts. Such wholesomeness and beauty have never been rendered by any book I have read or any movie I have watched. The foibles and growth of fashionable Meg, reckless Jo, fastidious Amy and the unforgettable, dear Beth draw one closer to the lives of a poor, yet happy family progressing through the highs and lows of life, indeed, like little pilgrims with their little burdens. Each scene flowed into the next, the story a winding river- on its way multiple rapids and waterfalls, but always caressed by the gentle banks of an ever-loving family and an awesome neighbour. After I finished reading, I thought about which scene I liked the best, but all of them- Laurie and Amy in the boat, Meg's "'fess" to Marmee, Laurie proposing to Jo, and Beth and Jo on the beach, the former relating her deepest emotions...

  I knew that this was a big thing in the book world. Many have suggested it and I have heard it being talked about, so I decided to give it a try.  It is beautiful. This is pure nonfiction. There are a few anecdotes by the researchers on their experiences when they were conducting their research in Ogimi, the Village of Longevity. Other than that, this is a research paper as much as it is a book. But I loved it. The advice is genuinely simple, and the 'secret' of the Japanese commitment to whatever they do is laid bare perfectly, in a lucid way. I was surprised to find out that prioritizing the rituals and the process more than the end result is one of the key things the Japanese do in any field, from sushi-making to engineering. The concept of 'ikigai'- something you are born to do, so to speak, is explained gracefully by the authors, and we can observe in all the interviews and words by the centenarians given in the book that their ikigais have played a very importan...