Through Alex Pattakos, Viktor Frankl has again come to my rescue also as he did earlier in my life through wonderful book, Man's Search for Meaning.
It has been a week of heavy news and troubles in the world so far-reaching one feels helpless to make a contribution that matters. Alex Pattakos has been seeding the dialogue at 24seven Conversations each month, highlighting one of Viktor Frankl's principles that he explore in his book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles at Work.
Today, I took the time to re-read the chapter on the third principle, Detect the Meaning in Life's Moments. "We don’t create meaning; we find it." Alex reminds us, "And we can’t find it if we don’t look for it." Where he really helped me today was in what he describes as "High Altitude Thinking". He asks you to imagine that you are sitting high on a moutain peak overlooking your life. "From this distance, you can see all of the roads that you have taken, all of the stops that you have made, all of the people that you have encountered, all of the things that you have done or experienced in your life."
Wow!! What a view!!! I loved seeing the paths of my life from a new perspective. Even with all its trials, tragedies and triumphs looking at it in the distance filled me with gratitude. Sometimes I recognize that I am an unintentional "prisoner of my thoughts." I get too involved, too stressed, too immersed in too many things---I miss out on paying attention to what is present right in front of me. How about you? Are you a prisioner of your thoughts??? I invite you to come find out. Join the dialogue with Alex.
Be sure to stop by and see our Knowledge Gallery exhibit commemorating Viktor Frankl 100th Birthday Anniversary.
Debbe Kennedy
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
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