A Man's Search for Meaning

My yesterday ended with: "focusing your mind in a certain way is a power that no one can take away from you."

This reminded me of a deeply moving book I read a few years ago, "A Man's Search for Meaning." In the book, Viktor Frankl recounts his experiences as a doctor and prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II.

Of all the lessons I have learned, taught, preached, and tutored, this might be the most important one.

The book is very powerful and shows the courage that many of these people showed during an extremely difficult situation.

One of the things that Frankl noticed was that no matter how hard his captors tried, they could not control the way he thought. They could inflict pain on him, even kill him, but they could not make him think or feel differently.

Frankl noticed that some people gave up this power under duress, while others hung onto hope and searched for meaning in their lives as captives.

Very few of us ever end up in a drastic situation like this. However, we all face adversity on a daily basis. It is Frankl's thesis that those who hang on to hope, and who look for the positivity, the lesson learned, the bright spot in all situations are the ones who can truly be happy.

Because when times are good, it is easy for these people to relax into it, knowing they can find peace even in life's darkest moments.

This determined focus on the positive, and unwavering hope for improvement in any life situation is a great lesson to teach our kids, either in school, at home, or with a private tutor.

Source: A Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl, 1945