MAHONEY’S MOMENTS

June 2025: What's Your Ikigai?

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb

Years ago, I was taking my middle school daughter to school one morning when I stopped at the local McDonald’s to pick up a newspaper and coffee. At the time, I was the county school superintendent and as I grabbed the paper, I handed it to my daughter and asked if she wanted anything in the store. Upon getting back in the car, she opened the newspaper and we both saw a file photo of me on the folded top half. She hadn’t read the article but simply, with anxiety in her voice, asked me, “Are you in trouble?” I laughed and said no, as the article was quoting me on some state education issue and using the file photo.

I was reminded of that a couple weeks ago when riding now with a middle school granddaughter and she saw a program on the seat with my name on it. She looked at it and next came her clear question, “Are you ever going to retire?” I answered I didn’t think so, since I had found my ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy). She said, “Your what?” “It’s a Japanese concept that roughly translates into discovering what brings you joy, purpose, and meaning in life.” Some suggest it’s your reason for living. It’s at the heart of those who find their joie de vivre! It’s hidden deep inside each of us.

Ikigai is usually expressed as an overlapping Venn diagram that represents the intersection of four key areas: (1) What is your love (your passion)? (2) What does the world need (your mission)? (3) What can you be paid for (your profession)? (4) What are you good at (your vocation)? It’s not always career focused but can be. It’s a journey that brings flow and contentment. It’s found when you find things you enjoy doing, contributions you want to make, skills that you can offer that have economic value, and allow you to use your strengths and talents.

Let me offer a couple examples. Consider a craftsman who loves woodworking. They are good at it, get paid for creating custom furniture, and the world needs high quality wooden pieces. We’ve all met those folks who, after long careers, admit they never worked a day in their lives because they found their ikigai even if they don’t use that term! Or the owner of a small community coffee shop who loves brewing coffee, providing a place for others to gather, and using his talents to manage a small business selling coffee, pastries, etc.

Education priorities today are squarely aimed at connecting kids to the workforce. What if we could help them figure out their ikigai for work and careers? What if we help them understand their interests, strengths, and talents and marry those with marketplace opportunities and problems that need to be solved in our communities? We just need to be systematic and intentional.

Writers Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles have written a book about Ikigai and studied the centenarians in Japan which has the world’s highest life expectancy. Part of the answer to their longevity has been their ability to discover their ikigai, pursue it, and find meaning in their lives. The writers’ partial advice around ikigai includes staying active, giving thanks, and following your own. I would also add, it’s never too late to find yours.