The Japanese believe that everyone has an ikigai, or rather, a purpose in life. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find. This happened to be the case for the fabled woman Sayuri, who, while on her deathbed, was given a second chance at life. Born into a very traditional and religious Japanese family, Sayuri was always eager to make her family proud by growing into a perfect woman. Ironically, she felt comfortably constrained her whole life. At a very young age, Sayuri married her childhood sweetheart, a fine man who later in his career became the mayor of the small town in which they lived. Together they had three wonderful children who Sayuri loved more than life itself.  After some time when her children grew a little older, Sayuri decided that she wanted to give back to the community by becoming an elementary school teacher. However, when discussing the possibility with the principal of the school she learned that he was less than eager to support her. Apparently, she was too old to start a career. And so, Sayuri felt an uneasy sense of pressure and even started to doubt herself. Sayuri continued living “properly” and believed that she was doing the right thing. As life would have it, just after a year Sayuri lay on the bed motionless not knowing her husband and children prayed over her. She was not very old when she had fallen ill, into a deep sleep, one of which the doctors were not very hopeful. It was only a matter of time. As she fell deeper into sleep, Sayuri travelled an eternity passing above the mountains, across the rivers of her country towards a light full of hundreds of thousands of familiar faces which she could not entirely make out. She was not scared and felt a massive wave of love and acceptance crash over her when she landed at that heavenly place. “I am just Sayuri. Each morning I wake early to care for my husband and children. Without missing a day, I pray for my parents that they are resting peacefully. I miss my family and love them all so dearly.” “And do you love yourself?” Sayuri never hearing such a question before, paused with tears in her eyes. After a moment she replied, “Yes.” “Then why do you hide behind them?” Understanding the question, she immediately felt insignificant. Sayuri realized that there was no questioning her love for her family, but her whole life had been lived in their shadows. The  voices asked her to stand, “Go back and live your second chance at life,” they said. Sayuri woke from her long sleep with a new outlook. From then on Sayuri was more passionate about living a purposeful life than ever. She was still the wife of the mayor and continued to raise her three children. However she was now more committed and determined to live her own life. She went back to the principal and with confidence became the most valued teacher the school had ever had. Sayuri had died once before, and her determination to live the rest of her days happily meant that she never wasted her second chance at life. She had found her ikigai. The story has an unfortunate parallel to reality, not limited to fictional characters. All too often we hear similar stories from the people around us who don’t recognize their ikigai, until they experience that second chance at life. “Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late”. Benjamin Franklin. Don’t wait for a wake-up call. In the gospel today, a landowner goes to see what his land has produced; ther’s a fig tree that has produced nothing in three years. The landowner said to the gardener this tree is useless,  cut it down.  But the gardener loved the tree and susggested give it another chance; and maybe next year we will have fruit.  The gardener is Jesus  and each one of us is the tree.  Maybe we have not lived up to expectations; maybe we have wasted our time, but Jesus never gives up. Jesus always gives us a new opportunity, a second  chance. You may not be as fortunate as Sayuri to get one. Before you know it, life will have passed you by and regret will have set in and you will begin to think of all the things that could have been, had you only tried. Your whole life, however long, is ahead of you to grow and live purposefully. A meaningful life of happiness and longevity awaits you. You owe it to yourself, to follow your ikigai.