In the Okinawan language, there isn't a word for retirement. However, older Okinawans can readily articulate why they get up in the morning. They live intentional, purposeful lives. They feel needed, they matter, and they contribute. Subsequently, they live longer than most. The idea is to keep your mind and body active to fill yourself with purpose and ikigai daily. We think of retirement as an ultimate destination of well-earned rest from the battlefield of a career. We think of retirement as a golden age of holidays and gold. However, retirement kills your ikigai. We need to stop spending so much time worrying about making more money and our eventual retirement.
Instead, we should be focusing our efforts on building a remarkable life while we still have the time. So, never retire. Keep learning, keep changing, and keep growing.
