“Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems, and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.” Viktor E. Frankl, from his book, Man’s Search For Meaning.
Take a look around, how many people do you encounter who take responsibility for even the most innocuous aspects of their existence? Viktor Frankl’s quote was taken from his book Man’s Search For Meaning, while he was a prisoner in one of the Nazi death camps . . . Auschwitz. It is incomprehensible how a human being experiencing such horror in every moment of every day, made a conscious choice to live within the circumstances he found himself without making excuses and learning from them in the moment. That which presents itself to us as a problem, resolves itself within the context of our conscious dilemma of personal response.
The journey in which we find ourselves will present us with problems, choices, possibilities, remedies, consequences and resolutions that may or may not quite procure the results we want. However, the fundamental question goes a little further here . . . with additional introspection and integrity, it may result in exactly what we need. Our response is critical to our perspective and perception in any given circumstance, and empowers the substance of your existence. Nietzsche says it another way . . . “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”
There is also another question apparent here, and begs to be stated. Over many years it has become woefully obvious, that at times you will experience those who . . . don’t know, that they don’t know. Consciousness to them is a word in the dictionary with relevance to someone else. What to do? Once again, it is not what you say but definitely how you act, that will be the point of enlightenment whether it’s an individual, group or an audience. At this point . . . you now have a conscious dilemma, and sometimes when you know who you are, why you are here, what you’re about and where you are going in other words your essence . . . that still small voice directs the next step. During my experience as an educator with different age groups over many years, I was always amazed and astounded at the very simple yet direct manner in which those young people responded. I always held this quote by Thomas Sowell within my daily thoughts . . . “There are few things more dishonorable than misleading the young.” I held to that standard then and it has served me well to this day, because in the words of Viktor Frankl . . . “A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the why for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any how.” JLR