As the years pass and people enter their sixties and beyond, life begins to whisper different questions. No longer is life defined by simply working and raising a family or by relentless ambition; instead, many older adults are quietly pondering: What now? What is my purpose? How can I continue to live life with meaning, joy, and contribution?
These are serious questions. At the very core of our well-being lie these concerns. For many, these questions become a soul-awakening longing for connection, purpose, and fulfilment that does not diminish with age but rather grows doubly earnest.
And so unfolds this new chapter in life, where the Japanese concept of Ikigai provides a deep and meaningful guide. Rather than just philosophy, it is a quiet doorway towards reclaiming joy, contribution, and inner alignment. For those above 60, it can shine with grace and intention on the path ahead.
When landing in their sixth decade, three concerns arise:
But there is always a quiet opportunity within these concerns. Time breeds wisdom. Reflection breeds clarity. And with a good perspective, it is very much possible to lead a more meaningful life at 70 than at 30.
Purpose is not simply a grand mission or vocation for life. It can be a reason to wake up in the morning with curiosity and anticipation. One person might find purpose in caring for grandchildren; another may find it in gardening, volunteering, painting, or mentoring.
Purpose is personal. However, one thing that societies in all ages hold as an eternal truth is that we thrive when there is purpose.
A study conducted in Okinawa, Japan, the home of some of the longest-living individuals, claimed that those who live longer are not necessarily wealthier or in better condition than their counterparts, but those with a sense of purpose in life; they wake every morning with something to give, to look forward to.
That’s where Ikigai comes in.
Finding one’s purpose after 60 is not some elaborate scheme of external reinvention; rather, it is a return to one’s inner being, linking with what makes one act, the very impetus of the soul, and fills quiet days with joyous calm.
Here are some questions to ponder:
Purpose often lies at the intersection of pleasure and service. When you do what you love, and it feeds something bigger than yourself, a great fountain of energy flows through you.
Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a beautiful word in Japanese and translates roughly to “a reason for being.” That, however, is a very mechanical sort of explanation. It conveys the joy of living, a life in harmony between one’s values and passions, on the one hand, and the activities one pursues in daily life, on the other.
Ikigai is not a goal to be achieved. It is a way of being, living each day in a dance between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what fulfilment means for you. It is very much about you and changes with time; it never retires when you do.
In Japanese culture, Ikigai is never extraordinary; it can be found in sipping tea while watching the sunrise or in walking there and back along the same footpath each morning; it is in the little moments of everyday living. For those past sixty, Ikigai is no longer just meaningful but crucial.
In the West, Ikigai is often depicted through a Venn diagram consisting of four overlapping circles:
At the centre lies Ikigai, the sweet spot where passion, vocation, mission, and profession converge.
But for someone stepping into the evening of their life, the diagram takes on a far deeper, even spiritual, shape. Being paid may no longer matter; instead, becoming what gives life meaning and what leaves a legacy. Productivity gives way to presence. To personal significance.
In the centre of this philosophy stands a beautiful precedent: Abel’s Garden.
Tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood, Abel’s Garden is more than a garden. It is a space, laboratory, and experiment demonstrating Ikigai in action. It was born out of the desire to create a place where people could come together around nature, purpose, and beauty.
Older adults come here to share their lives, connecting while being with nature. They talk while pruning roses, laugh, sip herbal tea, and comfort themselves with calming cycles of the seasons.
Abel’s Garden is not about perfection; it is about presence. It is a place where they get their rhythm back, a place where they bring their gifts and find their voice.
Because it makes space for human dignity.
Whereas society usually dumps older adults, Abel’s Garden says: You matter. You are needed. You belong.
It nurtures every petal of the Ikigai flower:
In Abel’s Garden, age poses no barriers; it is an asset. The richness of life experience is cherished. Those laughter lines, those silver hairs, those quiet pauses are all testimony to the fact that life has more to offer.
If you are reading this and wondering where your own Ikigai lies, know this: it does not require a dramatic reinvention. You do not need to climb mountains or start businesses.
Just follow what feels real.
Return to something that stirs your soul. Reconnect with something that made you lose track of time. Look around and ask, Where can I serve with joy? Then start, slowly, with love, and soulfully.
So much beauty exists at this season of life; so much wisdom can only be time-earned. And Ikigai waits patiently to be uncovered, one morning after another.
Life after 60 is not a closing chapter. It is the beginning of a more soulful story.
According to the Japanese principle of Ikigai, meaning is never lost because of age; it may instead grow. The quiet moments, the tender connections, the simple pleasures, they become sacred.
With communities like Abel’s Garden leading the way and an increasing awareness of the need for purposeful living later in life, the narrative of ageing is being rewritten. We proudly proclaim that life after sixty is meant to be full, pleasurable, and meaningful.
So, take heart. Your Ikigai is not behind you. It lies in you, waiting with loving arms to welcome you home.
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