Over the last few weeks a few friends of mine have been working through some thoughts based around a book by Viktor E Frankl called, Man's search for meaning.
The people I'm talking about have had to do difficult things in life and, as often is the case with such people, remnants remain, scars and other things, and we have found some interesting thoughts - and found out some things about ourselves - based around the book and thoughts and experiences of its author.
I thought I'd share a few quotes from the fellow, Viktor E Frankl, in a post or two.
"Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone's task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it." - Viktor E. Frankl
Feel free to comment with your thoughts or feelings about the quote above if you're so inclined.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
It seems for a lot of people these days the concrete assignment that demands fulfillment is playing video games while eating doughnuts:)
"I work as a streamer", "I work on YouTube"
Yeah, I'm with you on this one (and most topics/opinions as well) for sure. It's become less important to so oety to focus on the truly important things - much easier to push them aside for the mindless and unimportant. I wonder what the result of that will be...but then, we can see the results all around us right?
Really neat to think of it like that!
I always figured we searched around for purposes that give us fulfillment in completing as we find ways to consistently impact the universe we are mixed up in.
A specific purpose does focus the objective and maybe it is our unlikely combination of roles make our purpose unique.
Must be a good book!
I think there's external purposes but many people defer to them rather than their own perpose or mission as Frankl puts it. Both need some attention; I tend to think the latter, one's personal mission, should be the priority as it's the base of all things. No you, no nothing.
I have to strongly agree with this, and I'm thinking like at Einstein, he sure had vocation for science and he made science progress, that was his "destiny" but of course he had to put effort it's not like everything happened by itself... What would have he been if he was a lazy ass? A no one instead of one of the best minds in history
That applies to all of us, we might not be all Einstein, but we have a vocation, a declination, it should be worked on even though people now just want to be "influencers" lazy ass
I feel that only lazy people choose not to find a mission in life...it's not difficult, I mean it doesn't have to be world-changing, just life changing for the individual.
I believe this. He says "therein he cannot be replaced". But maybe the mission cannot be replaced or substituted either. Have yet to find anything as fulfilling and that gave me purpose as my time in government service, both military and civilian. Working with other vets doing volunteer activities for the community is as close as it gets to giving me that feeling.
Finally received the book. Just started it. Love it so far.
One of the challenges is finding that mission, especially after a history such as you mention. Having a purpose, one that's a passion, is a ln important thing I think. I reckon you've found it.
I'm glad you're enjoying the book, it's a good read.
It is a good read. I am only 30 pages in so far. What has struck me most so far is how he identifies the quick onset of apathy in that environment.
Yep, and I think the same happens now. Maybe not apathy per se, but certainly the choice to be ignorant to the facts that are glaringly obvious around us and who h should be addressed. Ok, maybe apathy also.
Right now my meaning is simple. The currency in life right now I care for is Time. I constantly feel time is running out, and I must make some memories when I can.
Got to travel more :)
Trips coming up. Stockholm, SFO, Baku, Almaty, Taskent....
Baku, Almaty, Taskent? Crikey! I had to look them up! In my day we went to Ibiza, Majorca and the Costa del sol!:)
I've been to Mallorca too, but Menorca is 10 times better
Work takes me there...
Time is such a precious commodity and yet is spent so senselessly by so many people. It's a wise person who sees it as rare and precious then treats it accordingly. Travel...yep, I'm with you there.
My wife is from Almaty :)
Aha! Married a Kazak! I have many Kazak friends. And Russians who live there and work oil fields
She is actually a Russian born there, blonde, so not a real Kazak 😀
Only one? I feel like I have two and one of them is an attention hogging drama llama XD
One, two...seven. I think the point is one should have something more than nothing.
This made me laugh.
How many people do you think never figure out what that vocation or mission is?
I'm not sure but certainly more these days than in the past I reckon. People are easily distracted and often those distractions are more enjoyable than the hard work one has to put in to attain solid results.
For me it is about living each day so that I feel like I lived it to the fullest and do what I like to do.
A reasonable concrete assignment I'd say.
If capitalism teaches us anything it's that anyone can be replaced and they oftentimes are. Mechanisation, automation and now AI.
As for concrete assignments one has to be in a position to act on this concept.
Constraints of money and time are the impediment to many people around the world.
Interesting idea though. If a bit utopian.
#justsaying
You need money to assign yourself the task of being a better parent or partner? You need money to assign yourself the task of continual improvement? You need money to assign yourself the task of taking better care of health and general wellbeing?
I think not.
#justsaying
Go read the book and learn about Viktor Frankl's experiences in a Nazi death camp...he had no money there and it certainly wasn't utopia.
#justsaying