“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by a lack of meaning and purpose.”

~ Victor Frankl

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This quote and this concept has become a big part of my presentations of late, not only because of its source, but also of its power. Of course, I’m sure some people, who have never heard of Victor Frankl, and thus don’t know its source, might look at this quote as just another airy-fairy comment from some psychologist who doesn’t know what real life is all about. They may think something like, “Yeah right, well this guy doesn’t know all of the negative crap I have to deal with, so who is he to give me advice on how to live my life…”

Well… Victor Frankl wrote this when he was in Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Germany during World War Two!

Therefore, while I’m sure we all are dealing with challenging circumstances (some are more challenging than others, I’m sure) I’m guessing it’s safe to say that none of our circumstance are as problematic as Auschwitz. Therefore, if we have established that this guy has some credibility, let’s go on to see how his words can support those of us who are wanting to have more influence in creating the life we want.

Of course, for those of you who follow my “Life from the Top of the Mind” philosophy, you know that I like to apply the latest brain research to psychological concepts which brings science into the understanding and application of quotes, such as this one from Dr. Frankl. In terms of neuroscience, what we know is that the part of the brain that assigns meaning first is the limbic system, and it does this with no specific purpose except to keep us alive. While this ability to react without thinking is perfect in a fight-or-flight situation, it can often be problematic in all other aspects of life.

That’s why I like to teach people how to influence this scanner, processor, router part of the brain by first becoming clear about purpose (what I call our Highest Purpose) and then use this awareness to assign meaning to life’s circumstances.

For example, let’s assume that we have identified our Highest Purpose, as defining who we are in a way we would teach or recommend to someone we love. In other words, we want to access our clarity, confidence, creativity, and compassion (all of which come from the upper 80% of the brain or the neocortex) in all situations. If this is our purpose, then we can use the situations in our life as an opportunity to practice accessing these qualities and characteristics.

In this way, we have given new meaning to life. No longer is it a place we must survive, (where we are made to feel this way or that by the circumstances we encounter) but a place where we practice defining who we are in a way we would teach or recommend to someone we love. Traffic becomes a place to practice… difficult people become a place to practice, etc. And, of course, anything we practice we get good at, which means in time, we will simply find ourselves bringing meaning to life based upon this higher purpose without even thinking about it.

This is a great way to live, because not only are we accessing the best in who we are in all circumstances, we are actually triggering chemicals (serotonin and endorphins, for example) that keep us happy and healthy.

If this appeals to you, I suggest you raise your awareness of how you may be assigning meaning to the difficult circumstances in your life. Are you seeing them as problems that drag you down or trigger your anxiety, frustration, and worry? Or, have you chosen to use life versus life using you and make accessing your best your Highest Purpose? If it is the latter, you can now assign meaning to life based upon this purpose, and life becomes your practice field. Or, to take Dr. Frankl’s thoughts one step further…when we have become clear about our Highest Purpose, and used this clarity to assign meaning to life, there are no circumstances in which we cannot thrive.

Take care and God bless, Dr. Bill