“These are the times that try men’s souls” –Thomas Paine
We should find inspiration in other’s life stories. We can always find those who faced more adversity, yet still overcame the odds. One such case was the world renowned Viktor Frankl. I just finished his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. What a powerful life and message.
He survived the torture and brutality of the Nazi death camps. In the book, he describes the basic difference in the mindset of those who made it out alive and many who didn’t. He held tight to the last thing he had control over, the power to choose his thoughts and response in any circumstance.
Before the war, he was a brilliant neurologist and therapist, focusing on depression and suicide prevention. Everything about his life and plans changed when he was taken prisoner. He faced extreme adversity in every way imaginable. An adversity that most of us are fully unable to comprehend.
Unbelievably, he made the most of his experience and after the war, used it to help others for many decades. His creation, logotherapy, was developed to aid people’s primary drive to find meaning in their life. He found there was meaning in suffering and this sense of meaning could help people serve others.
His life was a true inspiration, all 92 years of it. His plans changed. Adversity struck. He kept his eye on the ultimate goal, to use his time and talents to grow, develop, and ultimately assist others. The details of his life changed dramatically, yet he adapted.
If he can do that, what can we make happen with our lives? How can we change how we view our own hardships?
“Hardships make or break people” –Margaret Mitchell
