Viktor E. Frankl’s classic book “Man’s search for meaning” recounts his experiences in a German concentration camp at Auschwitz during the peak of the Second World War. It talks about the horrendous experiences of the camp’s inmates in the bitter cold and the inhuman treatment meted to them by the Nazi guards. Frankl, a psychologist by profession, in his book tells that those who were better suited for survival were those who had some higher purpose to their lives. To him the higher spiritual calling was able to bring forward unknown reserves of inner strength.
He tells that those who had some inner purpose, some loftier goal were those who were able to withstand the inhumanness of the camp. According to Nietzsche “If a man know the why to his life, he can tolerate almost any how”.
The purpose of this blog is to emphasize the need for some meaning in our lives. Most of us just drift about in our daily lives, from one day to another. Then there are others who are so busy running from one crisis to another. Both these classes of people are soon bound to run into rough weather in life. The former who just let life carry them along are bound to get bored and listless. They will soon be crushed by ennui. The latter are bound ti get unduly stressed and frustrated by the chaos in their lives
What is need from all of us at any point in our lives is to have some meaning, a purpose for which we exist. It need not be any lofty goal such as eradicating human misery, or becoming a tennis player of world repute. We could just set ourselves simple goals. It could be something as simple as making reading a regular habit, exercising for half hour, four days a week or learning a new skill.
A life without meaning, without any ambition is like setting sail in the seas and being at the mercy of winds. We need some definite goals in our daily lives not only remove the humdrum of mundane existence but also to give us the joy of achievement in life. Also the pursuit of concrete goals in life will also give us inner strength to handle issues in life.
Besides, as we pursue these smaller goals in life regularly, in the course of time, our larger purpose may become apparent
We will feel more fulfilled when we achieve the little goals that we set ourselves.
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