Thursday, October 11, 2007

VIKTOR FRANKL

Well, I have made e-friends with a great lady in the Southwest named Anna Redsand. She published a book for adolescents. It's a biography on Viktor Frankl; A Life With Meaning. He was the amazing young man (then) who survived FOUR Nazi concentration camps. He survived because he choose his attitude each and every day. This became the whole meaning of his life. He studied it and devoted his life to helping others understand how they can survive anything. In fact, it has been called the third form of psychotherapy to come out of Vienna; the first being psychoanalysis (Freud); Adlerian (Adler); and now "logotherapy" with Frankl...logotherapy-knowledge of self. One can see how knowledge of choosing one's attitude would be beneficial for troubled adolescents...brilliant! What better or more effective tool for a teen than his or her own MIND!!!... Or any of us for that matter!!! Dr. Frankl was connected...heavenly connected! Don't you just know when he passed in 1997, the Savior was there with open arms saying, "Come 'ere big guy..."

Well, I just placed the Lord in a locker room of sorts, but you get my gist. There was lots and lots of love that I can't type without crying. That whole Nazi thing...

Anyway, after I ordered the book, I was randomly looking at the site of a magazine that I am interested in and recently subscribed to. The magazine is called The Sun, and there was a quote by Frankl on the homepage...I found that synchronous...my favorite word, you know...anyway...he was quoted about people that suffer...good people who SEEM to suffer or feel that they are suffering...when bad things happen to good people...etc. He said something so wise. Think about all of the good people we know who have loved and lost...so many...I have to paraphrase the words because I cannot find the direct quote...which means it's totally stuck in my head and that's a good thing. Frankl said something like this:

"If one is to be a light, one must expect to sometimes be burned"

So, as we read in our spiritual texts, Frankl, our Jewish brother, verifies for us experientially. To lead others, one must sometimes be on fire.

4 comments:

Emmy said...

Mom, I LOVE this entry. Sounds like my kind of thinking. Also, love your new picture up. . so YOU.
LOVE!

frizzlefry said...

I will be ordering that book. I'm always looking for books that portray the concentration camps from the viewpoint of the beautiful people who survived them, and survived them with their grace intact.

Have to go. . .crying now.

The Katzbox said...

Thanks for your posts, each of you. Frankl came to me at a good time here in my corner of the vineyard. I think he resonates in people that "burn" frequently, hence, each of your responses....love to both of you.

Jette said...

You always know what to say to make me feel better. Even if you don't know it. I love you.