Month: June 2023

Thinking Out Loud ~ An Important Question

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Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is both an autobiography of his time in the prison camps and a presentation of logotherapy or as Frankl says, the will to meaning. Referring to logotherapy, Frankl says, “As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve. The question of the meaning of life may be actually reversed. Ultimately man should not ask what the meaning of his life is but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible. Thus, logotherapy sees in responsibleness the very essence of human existence. Pps. 113-114

NOTE: Frankl presents a question that challenges us at each moment of our existence: “What is life asking of me at this moment?” Since we have free will we can choose to ignore the question, answer the question is a self-centered way, or to embrace the question and choose to be responsible to the unique circumstances we find ourselves in. It’s not always easy, it can be fraught with suffering and pain, yet it is our path toward meaning and living a fulfilled life.

Joke of the Day

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Joe: “Pete, do you know the difference between God and my psychologist?”

Pete: “No clue, Joe.”

Joe: ‘God doesn’t think he’s my psychiatrist.”

Feel Good Tip of the Day ~ A Simple Lesson

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If we are bored, our eyes must be closed. Abundant opportunities surround us. A friend of mine told me she was reading her church bulletin and saw there was a need to help answer phones at her church. She volunteered. Her action may not be earth shattering, but it is meaningful. She is helping her church, she is volunteering her time and moving out of her space to enter a space where there is a need.. The lesson is simple, look (recognize the need), take a step toward it (we can’t wait for it to knock on our door), and engage (commit ourselves  to action). 

Photo for Today ~ Together We Can Achieve Anything

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Poem for Today ~ if strangers meet

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if strangers meet

e. e. cummings

 

If strangers meet

life begins-

not poor not rich

(only aware)

kind neither

nor cruel

(only complete)

i not not you

not possible;

only truthful

-truthfully, once

if strangers(who

deep our most are

selves)touch:

forever

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Thinking Out Loud ~ A Moment of Grace

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Victor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning describes incident shortly after his concentration camp was liberated. Although still living in the concentration camp, the prisoners were free to go wherever they wanted to go. Frankl found himself walking alone through the countryside. This is how he describes it. “I walked through the country past flowering meadows, for miles and miles toward the market town near the camp. Larks rose in the sky, and I could hear their joyous song. There was no one to be seen for miles around. There was nothing but the wide earth and sky in the lark’s jubilation, and the freedom of space. I stopped, looked around, and up to the sky; and then I went down on my knees. At that moment there was very little I knew of myself and of the world. I had, but one sentence in mind, always the same: I called to the Lord from my narrow prison, and He answered me in the freedom of space.”

Note: Have you ever had a spiritual experience similar to Frankl’s spontaneous experience of joy and gratitude? I have. When they’ve occurred to me, I have felt overwhelmed with the presence of God and felt the overwhelming desire to remain in that space forever. One cannot predict if and when they will occur, I call it a moment of grace.

Health Tip for Today ~ Is This Behavior Putting You at Risk for Heart Disease?

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Is Zoom or Texting Leaving You Feeling Isolated or Lonely?

If texting, emailing, social media, or Zoom calls are your primary means of communicating with others and leaving you feeling lonely or isolated — you may be at risk for two problems linked to higher risks for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association in the Journal of the American Heart Association. To combat loneliness and isolation, try to replace some of your electronic back-and-forth with people with in-person meetings. Maybe you can find room in your schedule for a quick walk, cup of coffee, or brief lunch with a friend or colleague.

“Time spent face-to-face helps connect you to others and may make you feel less isolated,” explains Matthew Lee, a sociologist and research associate at Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program. “Being physically co-present can help you feel more engaged with others, more valued, and more likely to feel a sense of shared identity — all things that may help ease loneliness. This is why some doctors are starting to engage in ‘social prescribing,’ including suggesting that people get involved in volunteering and other activities that build in-person social relationships.”

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Feel Good Tip for Today ~ Are You Happy?

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I read an article this morning that proposed that 3 simple habits can make us much happier. I consider myself a happy guy. I do have an occasional down moment, but they never last. I wanted to see how my behavior matched up against the three habits suggested in the article. The following are the three habits. One, train your brain to focus on the good things life has to offer. The authors say that our brains evolved using protective mechanism to keep us safe from predators. That’s a good thing, but when focusing on fears and possible negative outcomes rule our lives we miss out on life’s joys. Two, practice gratitude. If we consciously practice gratitude we can turn down times into happier moments. Three, think about the definition of happiness. The author suggests happiness is multifaceted comprising three parts: pleasure, meaning, and “feelings of commitment and participation in life.

How did I do? I am really good at practicing gratitude. Yesterday, I felt myself slipping down a negative slope and consciously made myself speak aloud ten things for which I was grateful for that happened to me during the day. By the time I hit number 8 my mood changed, I was back to being my happy self. As far as the first point I try (not always successful) to do a lot of self talk. When a negative thought hits, I’ll ask myself if it’s real or am I making up stuff that hasn’t happened. This kind of questioning works for me. I’ve never really thought about a definition of happiness, so that is one habit I don’t have. I hope you have a happy day today with many more to follow. 

Photo for Today ~ Embrace Your Inner Child

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Joke of the Day

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Joe: “My wife went to the dentist to have a tooth pulled and she told the dentist, ‘I don’t know what’s worse, having a tooth pulled or having a baby.'”

Pete: “What did the dentist say?”

Joe: “The dentist said, ‘Make up your mind, I’ll have to adjust the chair.'”

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