“He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.” Nietzsche
There are certain books that I have found, over the years, that I want to read over and over again because I find that in reading them my life changes. One of those is “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl written in 1962. Perhaps you’ve read it. I hope so because it is an incredibly impactful book. Each time I read it, I find some new kernel of truth that causes me to reflect on my own life.
As it says in the forward of the book, “it is first of all a book about survival”. In the 1930’s, Frankl, like so many other German and East European Jews, was thrown into a series of concentration and extermination camps. He survived to tell his story and his story is a story about how he kept himself alive in the midst of others who seemed to die; more from a lack of hope or lack of something to live for than from lack of food or the severe conditions under which they lived.
His key to survival? In the book, he talks about how he “kept himself alive and kept hope alive by summoning up thoughts of his wife and the prospect of seeing her again and by dreaming at one point of lecturing after war about the psychological lessons to be learned from the Auschwitz experience”. From this experience, he found that “the greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life.” He saw three possible sources for meaning: in work, in love and in courage during difficult times.
I agree with Frankl. For years I have been blessed to have work that I felt was significant. LifePath Center and the other two wellness centers that I have created have brought me so much joy and purpose. I find meaning in observing others find their path and/or heal from a deep psychological or physical wound with the help of very gifted healers. And, I love being a Psychologist and embarking on a journey of healing with wonderful clients.
I am also blessed to have incredible love in my life. My friends are extremely important to me and I feel so grateful to have their support. My family consists of gentle, loving people who nurture my soul. My husband, Michael, is the love of my life, my friend, my lover and my confidant. And, my daughter, Allison, has given me meaning and joy throughout all of the years that I have watched her grow from an adorable child to a beautiful, accomplished woman. She’ll be joining Michael and I in October to become General Manager of LifePath!
Yes, both my work and love have given me meaning in my life. And, in addition, there is another source that Frankl insists is important and that is: courage during difficult times. This particular insight has impacted me in a profound way. He talked about how “forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you”. I cannot tell you how many times I have come back to this insight in my own life situations and also in counseling situations with my clients. For me, this is a profound truth because it’s up to us to see life as meaningful in spite of our circumstances. This has been true for me and I’ve also found this to be true when I’ve counseled with people. If we can’t find some meaning in our life, it’s very difficult; if not impossible to heal.
Do you have meaning in your life? I’m eager to hear back from you at docbeverly@aol.com.
