January 2, 2002
Choosing Your Attitude
“… everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankl
This is one of my favorite
quotes from the author of Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl, a
Jewish survivor of the Nazi death camps. Long
before I ever read his book, I tried to live by this thought.
Reading it for the first time, I felt vindicated in my own thoughts about
attitude, as Frankl is widely considered a top psychiatrist and the father of
logotherapy (makes the concept of man into a whole… and focuses its attention
upon mankind’s groping for a higher meaning in life). (1) His revelation came
from his ability to transcend the horror of the death camps and find meaning in
his existence.
People often say to me that they
wish they could be as positive as I am. If
they only knew that I struggle in so many areas of my life.
Just because I tend to spend a good deal of time concerning myself with
issues of the soul does not mean that I have found ongoing bliss.
To the contrary, the spiritual path can be incredibly challenging and
stressful, and can be even more difficult to maintain and project a positive
attitude.
Choosing an attitude does not
mean that the attitude you have is going to be positive or healthy.
I can remember times when I did not want to enjoy an activity or
responsibility. For some of us, we
choose to be unhappy just because. We
may choose to be depressed or out of sorts about everyday life.
Perhaps it is even healthy to have a day once in awhile when we exercise
the freedom Frankl identifies to have a less than optimistic attitude.
Others can also influence our
attitude. I know that I get caught
up in the attitudes of those close to me. Rather
than honor their right to choose to be in a negative frame of mind, I try to
change their attitude, or worse yet, I am influenced by them and mirror their
mood. Intellectually, I know that I
am choosing to alter my attitude, but emotionally I would prefer to blame them
for the shift.
If you have not read Frankl’s
wonderful book I highly recommend it. When
reading it, try to imagine the external influences in your life and compare
those to the life Frankl led in the concentration camp.
This is not to suggest that any of life’s challenges are more severe
than those that belong to you. It
only points out that in what was a terrible situation with no real end in sight,
Frankl found ways to maintain an attitude that nurtured his soul.
You have that same freedom…so what kind of attitude are you choosing
today?
With respect, acceptance, and love,
Richard
©
Richard D. Olson and Awaken The Soul, 2002; Edited by Janice E. Olson