“Man is not destroyed by suffering. He is destroyed by suffering without meaning.”
- Viktor Frankl
- Viktor Frankl
Many people are not sure of their destination in life. That is the reason why some of them sound like the conversation bellow:
“Can you tell me please which way to go from here?”
“That depends a lot on where you want to arrive”, says the Cat.
“I don’t care ...”, says Alice.
“Then it’s not important which way you go”, says the Cat.
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
“That depends a lot on where you want to arrive”, says the Cat.
“I don’t care ...”, says Alice.
“Then it’s not important which way you go”, says the Cat.
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
NIAGARA EFFECT
If you enter a strong river in a boat not suitable for safe sailing and only with one oar, most probably you will struggle all the time just to stay in the boat. Occupied with your ‘life saving struggle’ you will be surprised to hear sudden noise that brings even more fear in your bones – the roar is the sign that you are approaching huge, dangerous waterfalls. Disaster is close ahead.
Life is sometimes like that. You struggle with everyday challenges to survive only to find that life end is approaching. At that moment most people tend to ask themselves considerably different questions:
What is gained by succeeding in challenges that will mean nothing to me when everything will be finished at death? Why do I exist? Why does anything exist? What is the point of it all?
Fragility of human existence brings the question of ultimate challenge – the challenge of meaning.
Faced with the challenge of meaning, people often feel emptiness in the heart. That’s the reason why some teachers say that two most important points in once life are: the day we are born and the day we discover why.
Life is sometimes like that. You struggle with everyday challenges to survive only to find that life end is approaching. At that moment most people tend to ask themselves considerably different questions:
What is gained by succeeding in challenges that will mean nothing to me when everything will be finished at death? Why do I exist? Why does anything exist? What is the point of it all?
Fragility of human existence brings the question of ultimate challenge – the challenge of meaning.
Faced with the challenge of meaning, people often feel emptiness in the heart. That’s the reason why some teachers say that two most important points in once life are: the day we are born and the day we discover why.
To know the meaning of challenge, know the challenge of meaning.
If there is nothing worth dying for in one’s life, there is nothing worth living for either.
As Helen Keller* said: “Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”
How to recognize where we are and what to do to arrive at the place we want to be?
As Helen Keller* said: “Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”
How to recognize where we are and what to do to arrive at the place we want to be?
CONVICTION AND CONVINIENCE DO NOT LIVE IN THE SAME PLACE
When you discover why you are here, it is time to leave the comfort zone and strive for your best version. Challenges will come in both comfort zone and in your search for the best version of yourself. Comfort zone does not prepare us for necessary sacrifice on the road of life. So, choose conviction and strive for the best.
On your journey of striving for your best version you need to learn to cope with challenging situations. Here are some questions which will show you where you are at the moment: Who do you become when you don’t get your way? What do you become when you are not recognized the way you want to? What do you become when you think life is unfair? Who do you become when not treated fairly? Who do you become when someone near to you is not treated fairly? |
Are you proactive or reactive? Do you blame yourself and others or do you search for solution? Are you excuser or achiever? How do you take responsibility? How do you choose battles you wish to fight?
Who is helping you? |
If you remain faithful to the ideals you strive for, all the tests will only make you stronger.
Have big goals. Aim for the best. Ninety nine percent of people in the world are convinced that they cannot achieve anything great, so they aim for the mediocrity. The level of competition is sharpest exactly at the area of “realistic” goals. It usually means that such goals demand the most time and energy.
If you have extremely high goal, it will give you an injection of enthusiasm that will enable you to endure and overpower unavoidable temptations and challenges that come with any goal. “Realistic goals”, goals limited to the level of average ambition, do not give inspiration and will give you strength only for the first few problems you face, and then you will raise a white flag. If the potential result is mediocre or average, such will be your endeavor too.
Have big goals. Aim for the best. Ninety nine percent of people in the world are convinced that they cannot achieve anything great, so they aim for the mediocrity. The level of competition is sharpest exactly at the area of “realistic” goals. It usually means that such goals demand the most time and energy.
If you have extremely high goal, it will give you an injection of enthusiasm that will enable you to endure and overpower unavoidable temptations and challenges that come with any goal. “Realistic goals”, goals limited to the level of average ambition, do not give inspiration and will give you strength only for the first few problems you face, and then you will raise a white flag. If the potential result is mediocre or average, such will be your endeavor too.
The question is not: “What do I want?”
The question is: “What excites me?”
The question is: “What excites me?”
What will bring my life meaning? What will keep me going?
Choose things you are good at. Multiply results by using your strong side. Focus on your talents.
Once Albert Einstein said:
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
Wisdom in a nutshell:
Know your purpose, do your best and pray for the rest.
Choose things you are good at. Multiply results by using your strong side. Focus on your talents.
Once Albert Einstein said:
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
Wisdom in a nutshell:
Know your purpose, do your best and pray for the rest.
*(Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.)
Written by: Goran Pejaković
Institute for development of human values
Written by: Goran Pejaković
Institute for development of human values