"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl

Despite being a book that I would have typically read by this point in my life, it was a book that I'm extremely proud of reading and one that I gathered a lot of wisdom from and experienced an exceptional amount of self-growth. The quotes that stood out to me were: 1) And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom," 2) "Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it," and, 3) "Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him." The descriptions of the concentration camps were graphic and horrific; however, they were very much necessary to understand what Dr. Frankl experienced and how those events helped shape his view of human beings and of the world. His personal experiences also make any situation that any of us may be encountering seem minuscule and much easier to look at once one has read "Man's Search for Meaning". The book is a little outdated, but it definitely provides a look into the soul of a man that should, under normal circumstances, be devoid of a soul and has made the conscious decision to give up on life. He chose not to and, instead, used his experiences to explain that we all will suffer and endure difficulties in life, but to find meaning in our own lives because, "It is we ourselves who must answer the questions that life asks of us, and to these questions we can respond only by being responsible for our existence." Dr. Frankl sums up the meaning of life perfectly and succinctly by saying, "The meaning of your life is to help others find the meaning of theirs." This quote struck my personally because, despite what others may see as their own extrinsic or intrinsic source of motivation, mine comes from seeing others get over difficulties in life to see what hard work and determination can bring everyone. This is where I find purpose and where I find my reasoning to continue doing what I do in my life and in my profession. This is a wonderful book despite being dark and devoid of hope at times, but should be a book people should read whenever they feel that life is dealing them a difficult hand or when life has been relentless in the pain that it has dealt that particular individual. Upon completing of this book (and after allowing time for self-reflection), the reader should feel that they have more control over their life and decisions than previously thought. This alone should alter their mindset and should have them begin looking at their current predicament in a completely different light.