Man's Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl

Thank you, Victor Frankl, for the exceptional courage and depth of Heart you chose to embrace through an exceedingly painful chapter of your life.  For a man, who lost his family, home, assets, and lifework, and struggled through three years of Nazi death camps, Victor held on to his dignity, compassion, faith in the Divine, and a resolute picture of life’s uplifted Possibilities.

I read this book in high school, and it was a pivotal experience to indulge an alternative perspective of an individual, who chose to rise above all manner of strife, degradation, pain, and obliterated hopes.  This man’s heartfelt message of Release, Trust, Patience, Kindness, and Attitude is just as relevant today, regardless of one’s circumstances.

Although many of us have been indoctrinated with a perpetual need to “be happy” as a primary life goal, Victor’s suffering moved him to aspire to a greater depth of human value with a focus of discovering and living a Meaning for Life.  He affirmed this inspiration as a bedrock for fulfillment, which includes the choice to accept and learn from the innumerable events and lifecycles inherent for living a full and engaging life. To read this story is to give yourself the opportunity to see Possibility in any and all life challenges, rewards, joys, sorrows, highs and lows, known and unknown. 

As St. Francis of Assissi exemplified, “Be a contribution in every relationship.  Begin with what is necessary; then what is possible, and soon you will be doing the impossible.”   Victor Frankl chose to see the sun rise every day and help others see it, regardless of the clouds of all manner of elements and onslaughts.