In my last post, I referenced the blog “Brain Pickings.” I’m coming to really LOVE Maria Popova’s writings. She recently posted about the book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and holocaust survivor. In the below excerpt, he describes what helped him and his fellow inmates cope with life in unbearable circumstances.
“What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life — daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”
<<We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us.>>
My brain just did a double take…..…huh?
After physically feeling some re-orienting up there (in my brain), I feel that Frankl’s above statement reiterates a truth I’ve heard before: the power found in purposefully taking responsibility for your words (both to yourself and to others), your actions, and how you respond authentically to your own life.
What is life expecting from me? I’ve never thought about this before…
- Live to my potential
- Contribute to humankind
- Exhibit compassion
- Love wholeheartedly
This list makes me smile. 🙂
Posted by Missy Baker, a long-time student of Elesa Commerse.
To contact Missy, email missylbbaker@gmail.com.
Posted April 2, 2013