Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

Man's Search For Meaning is a staple in the Personal Development and Psychological world. The book is comprised of two parts; Viktor Frankl's incredible story and then the theory (Logotherapy) which came from this experience.

Viktor E. Frankl recounts the horrors of living in the Death Camps of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a psychiatrist. Shortly after his admittance, he becomes curious as to what attributes to the survival of some and the demise of so many.  In circumstances which soon equalize all who enter, how is it that some prisoners live on for years while other quickly die? A clue to the answer: "everything can be taken from man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

In the ultimate test of one's psychology, as you learn of the horrors of what went on within the camps, it is impossible not to wonder... if faced with such circumstances, how would you show up? would you be amongst the few that lived or the many that perish.

Worth noting, Viktor Frankl does a fantastic job of recounting and not dimissing the horrors of what happenned within the camp without diving into all the details which could turn off some readers.

The second part of the book is the science behind it all.  Quite frankly (no pun intended), this part isn't for everyone.  Although valuable to all, it is a tough read.  There is more information packed into one paragraph than found in entire psychology text books. As Viktor himself notes, the 60 pages which comprise the end of the book are a compilation of twenty volumes in German.  If you are a coach, tough it out. It is well wort the read.

Inspirational/Key Quotes & Excerpts:

"Man, however, is able to live and even die for the sake of his ideals and values!"

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." - Nietzsche

"Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first timeas wrongly as you are about to act now!"

"The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself."

"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triump, turn one's predicament into an achievement. When we are no longer able to change the situation... ... we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Consider a movie: it consistsof thousands upon thousands of individual pictures, and each of them makes sense and carries meaning, yet the meaning of the whole film cannot be seen before its last sequence is shown."

"People have enough to live by but nothing to live for; they have the means but no meaning."

If you joined me at my last seminar, you would have heard me talk about the meaning of life at the very end.  So again I say...

"Instead of asking 'What is the meaning of life?' ask, 'What is a life of meaning?'" - Bryce Healey

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce

A story of a dog named Floyd

(For those of you who know the real Floyd, stay calm, he is alive and well!).

There once was a puppy named Floyd who loved nothing more than to go for walks... running around, chasing birds and squirrels... it was paradise.

As Floyd grew older he began to get tired of his walks.  "There has to be more to it than this.", he thought, "I feel like all I do is go in circles. What's the point?".  And with that Floyd decided he wanted to walk somewhere. To make something of his walk. But where?

He pondered this while continuing his usual walk.  Afterall, why change when he knows this walk so well. Once he figures out the answer, then he will change. And so he walked and walked and pondered and pondered. But still no answer. Frustrated he barked loudly into the sky, "Please tell me the answer!", but he did not hear a reply.

The next morning, as Floyd as was on his usual walk, he came to a sudden stop.  "What the heck is this?!" He asked himeself. "Somebody has built a road right across my usual path! Nobody asked my permission.  Who do they think they are?!?" Floyd barked in a fury.  Confused, he turned around and went home.

The next morning he set out on his walk hoping it was all a bad dream. But sure enough, the road was still there. And this time, some strange thing with four wheels zoomed by on the road. "What is going on? I don't understand. Why did this happen to me?" Floyd thought. Tail between his legs, Floyd turned around and went home.

The next morning Floyd went to leave on his walk, but then suddenly stopped. He thought of all the change in the last 2 days.  "What if more has changed?" He asked himeself.  "I don't know if I can handle any more change." And so, Floyd decided to stay home.

"Home isn't so bad." Floyd thought. And he did his best to keep busy, but soon enough he grew tired again. He began to pace in his house. Wondering what to do. Back and forth he paced... "I can't play inside anymore, but I can't go outside... not now... its been too long... too much will have changed by now." Not knowing what to do Floyd barked with frustration loudly into the sky, "Please tell me the answer!", but he did not hear a reply.

That night, Floyd woke up to the loudest thunder he had ever heard in his life. "Great, what now?" He thought. "It can't get any worse." And then sure enough, it did. Water began to flow into Floyd's home ruining all his favourite things. Floyd couldn't believe it. "Why does this always happen to me?" he barked "What did I do to deserve this? I didn't ask for this! This is the worst day of my life."

Feeling as if he had no other choice, Floyd left his home.  He couldn't remember the last time he had been outside. And his worries were right... much more had changed.

So Floyd did the only thing he knew what to do, he began walking. Even though much had changed, he quickly adapted and thought to himself, "this isn't so bad." As Floyd relaxed and began to enjoy walking again, he laughed a little and thought, "you know, I never did figure out what the point of these walks are. I really wish somebody would tell me the answer."

Just as soon as this thought had finished a road came across his path. And not just any road... the same road that started this whole mess. FURIOUS Floyd barked and barked and barked until he tired himself right out and lay down beside the road.... feeling completely lost.

When Floyd awoke he was looking down the road instead of across it.  This new perspective allowed him to notice something he had never seen in all his days of walking.  There was something down the road.

Curious, Floyd walked with the road until he came across this new something. As he came to the spot where he thought it should be, the something wasn't there, but from here he noticed many other somethings. So he continued down many other paths. Some were short, some long, some dark, some bright, some were paved, some were gravel... all with many somethings. Some somethings he liked, some he didn't.

Then on one particularly beautiful day when there were no clouds in the sky,  he decided to hold his head up high and look up into the sky, well above his own height, for the first time in his life. And it was then he saw the something which called out to him like no other ever had.  This something though was far off and high above him, but he began walking anyway with a sense of purpose.  Whenever he grew tired, all he had to do was look at this new something and we was revitalized. It was as if this new something was giving him new energy, new life!

At times, he wished he had looked higher than his height sooner, as this something was probably there all along. But of course it wasn't just about looking up high, as sometimes clouds were in the way. As Floyd continued on his trip, he had to use all of the skills he had learned along the way. In fact, if it wasn't for all those other paths in the past, the good and the bad, he would not have been able to take on this trip. It was then he realized that life hadn't been happening to him... it was happening for him.

Finally, Floyd reached his ultimate something!!! HE WAS OVERJOYED! And so he began running around, chasing birds and squirrels... it was paradise.

Life lessons through riddles

Sometimes the answer is in front of us
A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of ten years.
How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height?

The Importance of Meaning
Why are 2010 (loonies) dollar bills worth more than 2009 (loonies) dollar bills?

The Importance of Perspective
Brad stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the 22nd floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. He landed he was completely unhurt, not even a scratch. Outside the building it was a sheer drop to the ground. . Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?

ASS-U-ME
A black dog stands in the middle of an intersecton in a town painted black. None of the street lights are working due to a power failure caused by a storm. A car with two broken headlights drives towards the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How could the driver have seen the dog in time?

A Lesson in Dynamics
You are on a ship, over the side hangs a rope ladder with half meter rungs. The tide rises a half meter per hour. At the end of five hours, how much of the ladder will remain above the water assuming that nine rungs were above the water when the tide began to rise?

Something to keep as an advisor, not a jailor.
I make you weak at the worst of all times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold, I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I?

Something so powerful it can build us up or tear us down:
What can bring back the dead; make us cry, make us laugh, make us young; born in an instant yet lasts a life time?

COMMENTS WELCOME! ENJOY!

I will post the answers in a few days... email me if you can't sleep.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce




THE ANSWERS:
1) 9-years - the tree DOUBLES in height every year. Therefore last year it would have been half the height (see it visually).
2) Because 2010 is 1 more than 2009 (think of it as the number of loonies/dollar bills and not the year).
3) Brad was a window washer and was looking at the window from the outside. When he opened it up and jump through he was jumping into the building.
4) It was day time.
5) Nine rungs. The ship rises with the tide.
6) Fear
7) Memories

Problems are a sign of life - Important video link included

Hi everyone!

It took a second try, (i.e.: I had to repeat Day 1), but I am now officially on day 2 of the 10 day challenge!

The positive thoughts/emotions are useful, but what is making a profound difference in my world is the focus on solutions.

How often do we analyze, dwell, and even move on only to revisit our problems?  This is not to say you should ignore problems, but once you know a problem exists and what it is, get solution focused. What I have personally noticed over the last couple of days is by focussing on the solution I am naturally pulled in the direction to take action and soon the problem is gone.

To quote Norman Vincent Peale, the father of positive thinking, “Problems are a sign of life, and if you don’t have problems you had better start to worry because the only people that don’t have problems are in the grave!”
















Accept problems as a challenge, as an opportunity to learn and grow. And most important, acknowledge that your problems are QUALITY problems.

Please watch the following video and as you do, ask yourself, 'How would my life be different if I adopted some of his positive beliefs?'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

Dream your life. Live your Dreams.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce