Living with purpose in Costa Rica’s Nicoya region is more than a lifestyle. It’s a spiritual and intentional journey that inspires people to make each day meaningful.
In Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s five Blue Zones, people live remarkably long and healthy lives. While diet, family ties, and sunshine all play a role, there’s one less-known ingredient to their longevity: plan de vida – a strong sense of purpose that gives each day meaning.
Plan de Vida: Living with Purpose
For Nicoyans, living a purposeful life isn’t an abstract idea. It’s a practical and spiritual guide, a reason to get up each morning. They want to feel needed and contribute to something greater. Whether through work, family, community, or faith. It gives them direction in daily life, grounding them in something greater than themselves.
This concept of purpose, this idea of “why I wake up in the morning,” is an integral part of blue zone culture. Okinawans call it ikigai and Nicoyans plan de vida.
Modern research backs this up. A long-term study led by Dr. Robert Butler followed older adults for over a decade. It found that people who lived with purpose, who had goals and clarity about their role in life, were not only happier but also lived longer.
Life purpose, it seems, is protective. It shapes mindset, reduces stress, and helps people stay engaged with the world around them.
In Nicoya, purpose in life is often found in the simple things: growing food, caring for grandchildren, volunteering at church, or passing down knowledge. It’s not about ambition or achievement – it’s about staying connected to what feels meaningful.
How to Start Living with Purpose
Crafting your plan de vida is about living with purpose, choosing an intentional and meaningful path that reflects your values and passions. Whether you’re navigating retirement, going through life’s challenges, or simply seeking more fulfilment, finding direction in life starts with small but powerful steps.
Discover What Brings You Joy
Start by embracing a quiet moment to reflect. What brings you joy? What are your talents, values, and guiding principles? Explore what inspires you. As you gain insight, you may discover a strong sense of purpose taking shape.
Align Your Purpose with Daily Life
Purpose in life isn’t just a lofty ideal; it’s a spiritual and practical guide that helps you focus your energy and build resilience through difficult situations. Living purposefully can improve mental health, reduce stress, and bring deeper life satisfaction. In fact, those who report a strong sense of purpose often experience lower rates of chronic illness and feel more connected to their communities.
Put Your Passion into Action
Next, put that insight into action. Align your life purpose with the activities and causes that matter to you. Volunteer with devotion, mentor someone who needs guidance, or create something that expresses your gifts. Living purposefully doesn’t mean being busy all the time. It means being intentional with your time, choosing to pursue what matters most.
Surround Yourself with Meaning
Display meaningful reminders of what you’ve accomplished and what you aspire to. These visual cues can serve as a daily source of motivation and courage.
Share Your Purpose with Others
Finally, share your purpose with someone you trust, such as a friend, coach, or therapist. Talking through your goals with someone who relates to your journey can be both inspirational and grounding. You don’t have to accomplish everything at once. Strive to live with intention each day.
Embrace a Purposeful Life
Your purposeful life starts not with a dramatic change, but with one conscious choice to live in alignment with what truly matters.
How Purpose and Connection Relate to Longevity?
Studies show that strong social connections and a clear sense of purpose are both linked to longer, healthier lives. When we relate to others through shared goals, meaningful conversations, and supportive relationships, we reduce stress and strengthen our immune system, leading to happiness and a longer life.
Concept of Pura Vida in Nicoya
In Nicoya, Costa Rica, pura vida is more than a saying. It’s a way of life that reflects gratitude, simplicity, and joy in everyday moments. It also includes their traditional dishes, like Chifrijo, Casado or Ceviche. This spiritual and cultural mindset encourages people to have direction and meaning in life, stay connected to others, and embrace life with optimism.
For Nicoyan centenarians, the pura vida approach to life reduces stress and contributes to their remarkable longevity. As 100-year-old Don Faustino once said, “Cada día es un regalo. Hay que vivirlo tranquilo, con amor y sin apuro” – Each day is a gift. You must live it calmly, with love, and without rush.
It’s never too late to discover your purpose. Research shows that those who pursue their life purpose later in life often stay active beyond retirement – volunteering, exploring hobbies, and connecting with others.
