Some years ago, I wrote an article in the Journal for Quality and Participation called "Reflections of a (re)evolutionary." It is interesting to look back on life and work to see where you were, what has changed , and also what has stayed the same. In this article I wrote:
Time and experience certainly tend to influence what seems worth having and doing. In my case, however, these influences have been tempered by the fact that I have maintained over my adult life a set of core values or principles to guide my thoughts and actions. In effect, these values, which have manifested themselves in different ways over the years, comprise the foundation of my character and emanate from the essence of my very being--my soul, if you will. It is as if my growth and learning have spiraled higher and higher over time above the very same point. With the experience of being able to view oneself from a distance, I can now "see" more clearly the contours of my life's journey, with all of its zigs and zags, in some orderly fashion.
This said, my "worth ethic" has always centered on the notion of service, especially public service. More than 20 years ago, I was committing to causes greater than myself. To be of service to others, especially to those less fortunate than I, became a "calling"; and the opportunity to challenge the status quo, no matter how much conflict was involved, became a quest worth doing. From participating in the anti-war effort with SDS [Students for A Democratic Society] during the Vietnam era to helping to fight the "war on poverty" in the inner cities and rural areas of America, my notion of "worthiness" revolved more around the "doing" or experiencing of something of value than it did the "having." Driven by a core value in which self-fulfillment was always more important than material success, I found myself submerged deeply in what Professor Peter Vaill has termed the "permanent whitewater" of change. Indeed, I eventually learned, oftentimes the hard way, that you can change without growing but you cannot grow without changing.
Since writing this piece, I recognize that the "permanent whitewater" of change has been ever present. One reaffirming experience that has deepened the meaning of this earlier message, came when my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, was published. It started what has become a MEANING MINISTRY that is reaching out across the world, one meaning-full experience and opportunity at a time. As I have written often here, it is a book based on the wisdom of my mentor and teacher, Dr. Viktor Frankl, world renown psychiatrist, holocaust survivor and author of the classic, Man's Search for Meaning. Again, I realize that much has changed in this discovery of deeper meaning and purpose in my life through my connection to his meaning-focused message and legacy, and much has stayed the same. Over the years, I have been able to reaffirm over and over again, like I wrote in the above-mentioned article, that my growth and learning have spiraled higher and higher over time above the very same point. From this vantage point, I believe that it is the authentic commitment to meaningful values and goals (i.e., will to meaning) that has enabled me to navigate, as well as discover the seeds of meaning within, the permanent whitewater of change around me. Who knows, perhaps this is what is meant by the notion of the "path to enlightenment!"
As I travel the world, carrying my message of meaning to and for others, I find myself reflecting upon and learning about my own life in meaningful ways as well. In Prisoners of Our Thoughts, I quote something from Viktor Frankl that is relevant to this very point: "I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system." [Page 25, Emphasis Added] Put differently, there is a humanistic concept advanced in South Africa called "UBUNTU" in the Zulu language. UBUNTU can be translated roughly into English as "A person is only a person through other persons." As I also write in Prisoners of Our Thoughts, UBUNTU is not about relationships per se; rather, it is about human-ness and how only human beings can truly establish the human-ness of others (that is, our human-ness can only be truly expressed as a "reflection" of others). Insofar as Viktor Frankl's humanistic (and existential) philosophy is concerned, we must be able to extend beyond ourselves (Principle #7) so that we can fulfill or realize more of ourselves.
Reflecting on my article in the Journal for Quality and Participation, this is what I meant by having a "set of core values or principles to guide my thoughts and actions." In the midst of the permanent whitewater that surrounds us all, ultimately, it is our will to meaning that guides us through the labyrinth of life and enables our growth and learning to light the way. And while this may not appear to be a "revolutionary" concept, because it happens continuously over our life times, it is "(re)evolutionary!"
So, now, ask yourself...
As you walk the labyrinth that is your life, what set of core values or principles guide your thoughts and actions? Furthermore, how are you applying the concept of UBUNTU so that you can fulfill and realize more of yourself?
All the best,
Alex
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
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NEW EDITION: Prisoners of Our Thoughts
New edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts in paperback, Audiobook CD, and digital download formats! Prisoners of Our Thoughts applies Viktor Frankl's philosophy and therapeutic approach to life and work in the 21st century, detailing seven principles for increasing your capacity to deal with life-work challenges, finding meaning in your daily life and work, and achieving your highest potential. Among other changes, this new edition includes a new chapter on how readers of the hardcover edition have put the seven meaning-centered principles into action, both in their everyday lives and even in extreme situations such as in Indonesia after the tsunami (where several aid agencies adopted the book as part of their training and relief programs) and in post-Katrina New Orleans.
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