West Palm Beach May 2026

16 W E S T PA L M B E A C H | M AY 2 0 2 6 - By Bob Fashano - I In my coaching business, I challenge my clients to examine their current, or, if needed, create their personal Mission Statement. I like to refer to the statement as MY Why. The statement speaks to why you get up every day and do what you do. I love this quote from George Washington Carver: “NO INDIVIDUAL HAS ANY RIGHT TO COME INTO THE WORLD AND GO OUT WITHOUT LEAVING BEHIND DISTINCT AND LEGITIMATE REASONS FOR HAVING PASSED THROUGH IT.” When you become clear on your WHY, finding the HOW is easier. Your Why is compelling and motivating. It will help you with your priorities. Your Why can be very fulfilling and make you optimistic about tomorrow. BUSINESS PROFILE Your Why We can take lessons from people from Okinawa. Men and women in Okinawa live an average of 7-9 years longer than Americans and have the longest disability-free life expectancy on Earth. The ancient Chinese legends call these sandy islands in the East China Sea “the land of the immortals.” It has been documented that a 96-year-old defeated a former boxing champ in his 30’s. Also, a 105-year-old killed a poisonous snake with a flyswatter. Researchers from National Geographic were so fascinated by the Okinawans that they studied what helped them live so long. What they found was, in addition to eating less and being part of community, the Okinawans have an outlook on life significantly different than ours. We think of retirement as the golden age of relaxing, pleasure trips, etc. Guess what the Okinawans call retirement? THEY DON’T. They don’t have a name for it. Literally, nothing in their language describes the concept of retirement; they never stop being productive. Instead, they have a word—IKIGAI (Pronounced “icky guy”), which roughly means “The reason I wake up every morning.” You can think of it as the driving force in their life. For example, in Okinawa, there is a 102-year-old karate master whose IKAGAI is to carry forth his martial art to future generations, a 101-year-old fisherman whose IKAGAI is to feed his family, and a 102-year-old woman whose IKAGAI is to hold her great-great-great-granddaughter. This sounds like a bunch of malarky, but these are well- documented facts. Finding your WHY and living it out has something to do with longevity. I have a forthcoming book on the topic of Purpose in retirement years ( shameless plug). However, finding your purpose is a worthwhile endeavor regardless of your stage in life. As a leader, people will follow a leader who knows why he/she leads, who knows his/her purpose. So the question remains, What is your WHY? Do you have a WHY statement? Bob Fashano is the founder of Lead One Consulting, LLC, an executive Coaching and Leadership Development Company located in Palm Beach Gardens. Bob Is a certified Executive Coach from the Center for Executive Coaching and a member of the International Coaching Federation. He is the author of a recently released book, "Make Today Your Masterpiece" and a new book to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. He serves on the Keiser Flagship Advisory Counsel.