Your Reason for Being

Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) is a Japanese idea that roughly translates to "a reason for being" — the thing that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. It is not about grand ambitions or becoming famous. In Japan, your ikigai might be tending a garden, teaching children, or perfecting a recipe over decades.

The idea gained Western attention through research in Okinawa, Japan, long reported to be home to unusually long-lived people. Researchers studying these centenarians found that nearly all of them could name a clear ikigai — a daily sense of purpose that kept them engaged with life well into old age.