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I'm recording this in January 2026.

There are monks walking for peace across the country right now. At the same time, we're watching institutions fracture, financial markets swing wildly, political chaos.

It feels like the ground is shifting under our feet.

A lot of people freeze. They wait for things to "go back to normal." They hold their breath, hoping someone else fixes it.

Here's what I've learned at 55, after building a business, surviving a pandemic that nearly destroyed it, and navigating constant economic uncertainty:

You can't control the chaos. You CAN control your purpose.

There's a Japanese concept called ikigai—"a reason for being." 

• What do you LOVE?
• What are you GOOD at?
• What does the world NEED?
• What can you be PAID for?

Your ikigai lives where all four overlap. In midlife, especially in uncertain times, it's not abstract philosophy—it's the most practical, urgent question you'll ever ask yourself.

March 2020. COVID hit. My fitness studio sat empty. Revenue evaporating. I had to ask: "If this all goes away, who am I? What am I actually doing this for?"

That crisis forced me to reframe everything. The studio was PART of my ikigai, but not all of it. What I loved was helping people reclaim vitality. What I was good at was coaching and teaching. What the world needed was honest guidance on living well. What I could be paid for was expanding beyond one physical space.

I adapted. I survived. I evolved.

Now, launching this podcast at 55 in 2025 while the world feels uncertain? It's ikigai in action.

In this episode:

• What ikigai is and why it matters MORE in uncertain times
• The four circles framework: mapping what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, what you can be paid for
• Why midlife is actually PERFECT for ikigai exploration (perspective, resources, courage, urgency)
• My COVID moment: when everything collapsed and I was forced to reassess
• Why now is the time to build skills, knowledge, and abilities that can't be taken away
• The "AND not OR" approach: you don't have to blow up your life to find purpose
• How to audit your current life against ikigai principles
• Small pivots vs. complete reinvention
• Legacy thinking: what do you want to matter when you're 85?
• Practical steps to move toward alignment this week

Truth bomb:

Jobs can disappear. Companies can fail. Markets can crash. Institutions can crumble.

Your SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES? Those can't be taken from you.

This episode isn't about waiting for the world to stabilize. It's about building something YOU control—purpose, value, reason for being—even when everything else is shaking.

You can control:

• What you're learning
• What you're building
• What skills you're sharpening
• What value you're creating
• What purpose you're serving

The monks are walking for peace. Governments are creating chaos.

You can't control that, you can control THIS.

Your ikigai is waiting for you to claim it.

Music Credits

Doug Hanson; Electric Relaxation (cover)  [email protected]

Kevin White; Frontin (cover) @Revkevwhite on IG

Emman

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: [email protected]

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