Every once in a while a book comes along just at the right time in one’s life to change their perspective and open them up for change. For me, that book was ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl. Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor that helped his fellow prisoners endure life at various concentration camps, including Auschwitz. The first part of the book discusses Frankl’s experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy.  Many therapists today use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as their go-to method for helping their clients talk through their issues but rarely talk about the meaning behind their suffering. After reading this book, I believe many people would benefit if they are able to find meaning in their suffering whether from anxiety, depression, alcoholism, or drug addiction. If one is able to find the meaning behind their suffering, I believe they are better able to tolerate the discomfort and hardships that come with everything.

 

After reading the book and reflecting on the struggles I’ve experienced with my mental health, I can now see that all the suffering I endured was part of the journey to find meaning in every aspect of my life. It forced me to take a step back and realize that in any given situation, I have the power to choose my attitude. I’d like to share a handful of entries from the book that resonated with me and how I will incorporate it into my life moving forward.

 

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Meditation has positively influenced my life in the last 3+ years and this has been a central focus for me. In stressful or anxious situations, with some practice, I am able to find space between the stimuli and my response. Before my meditation practice, the majority of my interactions were reactive. After my meditation practice, I’m now able to be more responsive and ‘think before I talk.’

 

The more one forgets himself – by giving himself a cause to serve or another person to love – the more human he is and he actualizes himself.

During some of my darkest moments, I thought no one understood the pain and suffering I was going through. I began to realize after reading this book that focusing on others helped me get me out of my own head and closer to the person I knew I wanted to be. It’s a constant battle of giving to others while also making sure to take care of myself.

 

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

After working in the same industry for nearly 10 years, switching careers and industries has been extremely challenging. If I’m being honest with myself, I kind of fell into advertising and wanted to follow in my sister’s footsteps (shoutout to you sis) without thinking about what I wanted out of my career. After speaking to a few friends in the industry, I’m excited, nervous, and grateful to be entering a field that takes care of people and puts their health first.

 

As the struggle for survival has subsided, the question has emerged; survival for what? Ever more people have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.

Hearing stories of very wealthy individuals unhappy with their lives is a prime example of how society is sending the wrong message about how to live. Growing up, I drank the society’s ‘success’ Kool-Aid thinking that if I only had the right career, made X amount of money, and had the ‘perfect’ family that everything would be fine and dandy. Life doesn’t quite work that way and I’m learning to find meaning in the struggles I face, both the ones people know about and ones they don’t.

 

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

This is the one main point that I will take from this book and come back to over and over again in my life. If Viktor Frankl was able to find hope, meaning, and life through his experience at the concentration camps, rest assure you can get through anything so as long as you can find the meaning in everything you’re going through.

 

As we continue to navigate our stay at home orders and what the ‘new normal’ will look like, I urge you to take a break from technology/screens and pick up a good book. Similar to exercise, it’s something I rarely regret and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I’m finding meaning in all this new free time by becoming more comfortable with myself and taking time off to rest when needed. Stay safe, stay sane, and stay curious. ❤

 

Book rating: 4.6/5

Final comments: This book is good for anyone struggling to find motivation, purpose, or hope in their life. We all go through ebbs and flows in our life and if we can come back to find meaning in things that might seem pointless, we can get through anything.

 

QOTP: “For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensure, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.” –Viktor Frankl