¶ Introduction
Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday. I am so grateful to be here, and I am glad to be here. And all I can say is what a phenomenal week this last week, a week of learning, a week of insightfulness, a week of maybe a little bit of transcendence. Some of our good colleagues and close, close friends have gone through some really tough times this week.
Others have gone through some really inspiring times, but all of us have gone through some really learning times.
¶ Wisdom of Frankl and Maslow
Today, I'm grateful for the wisdom of two remarkable thinkers, Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow. Their insights on human motivation, if we capture them, they can help us navigate. Even the toughest challenges. So you all have probably read Man's Search for Meaning. If you have it, read it by Viktor Frankl. Okay. It's a must read. And some of you are going, yep, yep, yep. That's right.
During World War II, Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist, survived the Holocaust, even in the most unbelievable circumstances of what a prison camp was. But it was the higher needs, like finding meaning, love, maintaining values, that were were crucial for his survival. He, Frankl, endured unimaginable suffering. Starvation, forced labor, constant threat of death. And despite those conditions, he found meaning in small acts of kindness.
It's fun to read the book and see just the little things that he was able to glean meaning out of it. And that in his deep love for his wife, who he believed was still alive. He looked forward to being able to be with her. And the other thing that he looked forward to was he focused on his hope of one day being able to share his insights with the world. You see, the one thing that he said he could control no matter what was what he was thinking right here, his response to what was going on.
The one thing he would never surrender is his response to what was going on. And that sense of purpose is what helped him endure the daily horrors and maintain his will to live.
¶ Frankl’s Influence on Maslow
Now, what I didn't know till just going through my think time this week is he had shared those thoughts with Maslow. Can you imagine those two talking about it? So Maslow's famous for his hierarchy of needs, which originally suggested that the basic needs like food and shelter must be met before higher needs can be addressed. But Frankl's experience, the actual experience of what he went through, led Maslow to revise his model. See, that's where he added self-transcendence at the top.
Indicating that true fulfillment comes from looking beyond oneself and finding a higher purpose.
¶ Finding a Higher Purpose
So this week, I challenge you, find a higher purpose in your daily activities. Sometimes we get so focused on finding the higher purpose out here that we don't live a higher purpose in the day. The bigger purpose will always show up if you're living a higher purpose in the day. So ask yourself, not what do I just need to survive today, but what am I living for? for. Not what do I need to do to survive, but what am I living for?
And consider ways you can contribute to others, a way that you can contribute to others or pursue a goal, if you want to call it that, a goal, a milestone that transcends your immediate needs, something that's outside of your immediate needs, arrows out.
¶ Empowering Question
So the empowering question for this week is, how can I use my current circumstances to find deeper meaning and positively impact those around me? Say it one more time. How can I use my current circumstances to find deeper meaning and positively impact those around me? Write that down. Ask yourself that question every morning.
¶ The Importance of Meaning and Purpose
Viktor Frankl said, life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. us. Yeah. So let's go forth this week, inspired by the enduring wisdom of Frankl and Maslow. We can find strength. You can find strength and fulfillment in a higher purpose, even for one day at a time.
¶ Thriving with a Higher Purpose
Remember, remember, it's not just about surviving, but thriving by living for something greater than ourselves. Have a meaningful week. Live life deliberately. We'll talk next week. Bye-bye.