ON THE TOPIC OF LEARNING FROM LIFE

What is meaningful? What is possible?

Reality confronts us many times with what is not possible. What we cannot do. We can not avoid facing pain, guilt, and death on some way and some form of suffering that we have to endure in life. And, this can happen on a daily basis.

Suffering draws us near to what is truly human in the limitations, that is to see an opportunity. An opportunity to look for what is still possible, what we still can do, what we could do, what we should do, what we ought to do. This is what is given, sometimes a large area, sometimes maybe a narrow area of what still is there, what still is valuable, still awaiting us, and only us to do, to experience, to create, to achieve...

The challenge is to "look away" from what we cannot do, "look beyond" to what we can still do, look inside, look outside, and look all around, for what we are still able and capable to do--for that is what we can still do--and that is what we then ought to intend to do, for that is what is meaningful to do.

To the "tragic triad" (Viktor Frankl), we can still superimpose the triangle of creative, experiential, and attitudinal values--the "value triad" (Viktor Frankl), and live not bemoaning what we cannot do, but rejoicing at what is still given, what we can still do, and what right now is calling, even stronger, clearer, and unmistakable, not despite of our suffering, but amidst it, in it, and through it.

...Listen carefully, listen attentively ("Attentive Meaning Sensitivity;" Edward Marshall) and you will then learn what is intended for you right now...and whenever you see it, hear it, touch it, or intuit it, you will know that you are wanted in Creation, wanted for that task that you alone are in the best position to fulfill.

When you are wanted, you are also cared for, loved, and protected.There is nothing and noone on this earth who can undo such bond, between you and your Creator who knows your circumstances, your pain, and your suffering, and has endowed you with faculties for being an instrument and witness of truth, beauty, and goodness in your life. For this, you will have power, you will have strength, and courage, if you ask, for now you have witnessed the power of your will--"the will to meaning" (V. Frankl), you have seen the freedom, the "freedom of will"(V. Frankl), and are called by meaning ("meaning under all circumstances;" V.Frankl)!

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There have been those, and remain those who call everything into question. They ask: What evidence you have for this? What proofs you can show us, or what results? Of course, life is not an experiment. But if it was, it is an "experimentum crucis" (V. Frankl), the way we live is the main test of our beliefs, and convictions.
With words from the Old Testament: "See, I have set before you life and death, so choose life."

There are many forms of "death" in our society, many forms of "ills." Responding to the sense of meaninglessness remains one of the main challenges to combat the many forms and levels of suffering in the form of "existential angst," (anxieties, worries, preoccupations) or "existential vacuum" (indifference, apathy, and boredom), or the triad of addictions, aggression and violence (against self) or others. As psycholgists and psychotherapists, we may be called upon to assess and to diagnose these conditions, and the diagnoses may vary, as the symptoms and manifestations may vary from person to person, depending on vulnerabilities, dispositions, character traits, etc. Treatment may also vary depending on factors involved. However, in most every situation, there is an element of freedom and therefore responsibility that remains, no matter the severity of the symptoms exhibited (except in conditions of mental incapacity, such as in a psychotic episode, for example), and thus meaning orientation can be potentially regained. Current guidelines orient us toward accurate diagnosis, and tratment options. Logotherapy (V. Frankl) remains an important component of psychotherapy that is oriented toward helping people respond to life in a meaningful way, thereby breaking the chain of maladaptive and destructive patterns that are originated in, or exacerbated by a lack of direction and sense of meaning in life.

THE “SILO” EXERCISE FOR DISCOVERING AND REALISING MEANING POTENTIALS AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR

It’s harvest time. Harvest is a time of gathering the fruit of the land and for storing it safely over the winter months so that there is plenty of nurturing food for the months ahead. We can see farmers diligently gleaning from their fields and bringing the yield to their barns, silos, or storage sheds, where careful planning and foresight ensures the goods remain stored and safe for consumption when they are needed.

However, fall is not only time for harvest. It is also a time for preparing the land for the upcoming year, to make it ready for receiving new seeds. We can observe farmers carefully handle the land and leaving it amenable for planting or seeding.

Some of the seeds and bulbs actually need to be planted in the Fall, so that with the coming of the winter chills, their life cycle becomes full—inside the tiny seed there is careful genetic regulation, which allows the seed to flourish if it went through the winter cold—these are the secrets of farming and landscaping which we can learn from, fall is not only for gathering the harvest, it is also a time or preparation for seeding, and planting—It is a time for gathering, and a time for giving.

Following nature’s path, fall is the time for gathering, and seeding--recollecting, and preparing. It is a busy time, during which we are existentially reminded of a transition that takes place in our lives, from warm temperatures, and long days, to now adjusting to less sunshine, shorter days, the changing colours of the season…

Let’s take a walk and soak in the bounty of nature’s glories at this time of the year—let’s take a walk in our lives and reflect on our journey. What do we see? What can we gather, and what can we store…what can we use to give, and nurture?

First, let’s review some points that are going to guide our self-awareness. At this point we concentrate on our lives…How has the past year been? Calling to mind our decisions, and actions, what did we plant, what resolutions did we make? Did we manage to keep them? Or did we perhaps had to modify them? At this point we call to mind our uniqueness. Everybody’s life is different. Our talents, our strengths, our abilities. In addition, we are confronted with unique life situations. What were these during the past year? Recalling our individuality, we see that we had unique paths, we had some order, and maybe, at times events which made us go not exactly in a straight furrow. This is also pas of our self-awareness, in the form of uniqueness, irreplaceability, and leaving our footsteps in the world, that now we can recall.

We can reflect on the “silo” of our lives, and ask ourselves, what do we choose to store in it, which actions, decisions, work, experiences, or even attitudes, events or instances of faith, spirituality, and hope. These become resources for our future.

The next step would be to distance ourselves from our immediate circumstances, and from ourselves, and to see which events, and who (which individuals, families, or groups) we came into contact with during the past year. Who were the people that required, asked for, or received our help. Do they still need us? Where are we in this regard “answer to their prayers/” Where are we irreplaceable, in a position to help, in a place to reach out to?

Drawing back to our “silo” where we have stored our “treasures” our resources, we can sort those “seeds” that we choose to become part of our giving: giving out, sharing, reaching out, giving away. Existentially, this part of the journey is called part self-distancing, followed by self-transcendence. We think of others, we give to others, we share with others, we plant new seed. Paradoxically, whatever we give, in the form of love, caring, self-transcendent, kind actions, teaches us about ourselves, and molds us into our way of being—it actually is not lost, but like the seed in the ground, must undergo exposure to cold, to elements, to external circumstances, to become able to fulfill its potential—to be life giving and nurturing.

So, as we reflect on our existential journey this fall, and we examine the contents of our “silo” we gather in what is valuable, worthwhile, and good, and separate it from weeds, from chaff, and from dust, and pollution, that does not belong there. We examine the ways we want to mend, the fence posts, the furrows, the equipment we have, and we examine ways in which those need to be taken care of, looked after, and nurtured-in other words, what are our needs in this season. Which are those ways we want to keep in our journey, and paths we want to improve, or abandon?

Likewise, which are our strengths and resources, which are those un-erasable and time tested goods we have gathered and can now safely deposit in our storage, where we can use it for future tasks, and the journey ahead.

The “silo” reminds us that we all have a storage, where our treasures and resources are safely kept. These are the resources we take for our journey for the nourishment of ourselves, and, wisely, of those who are around us.

How to Live Springtime in our Lives when it is Here, Outside!

Dear Friends,

The purpose of my writing is to reflect on the ways in which our INNER WORLD may reflect, and MIRROR, the OUTER WORLD:

It is Springtime. Spring time brings about growth and change. We observe this change everywhere we look.

Take a stroll in your neighborhood and pay attention to the colors of the earth,the plants, the trees, the flowers, and the sky above you. Do those colors seem more intense now than they were a month ago? The brown is more brown; the green is more green; the blue is more blue. These are only a few of the colors on our palette. Flowers add  richness of sensation of beauty and wonder. The world awoke from its sleep, from its hibernation, from the seemingly never ending grip of winter cold. New buds appear, signs of new life can be seen at every corner.

This is on the OUTSIDE.

How about INSIDE?

Have we woken up from our slumber to appreciate the changes that are happening around us? Most of us have a routine that we follow which help us meet our needs and necessary for carrying on our duties. But our inner eyes may be hungry for a change of scenery, a new look. Or, we may want to open our inner eyes, to look around, and to see life inside us springing up in new ways.

Which are the guidelines to follow, and how do we find a way of LIVING SPRINGTIME?

According to the Viennese psychiatrist, and founder of the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy, Viktor Frankl, MD (1905-1997), the first step is to realize that we as human beings, live not only along the dimension of soma (body) and mind (psyche), but we are spiritual, spirit-beings. We do have a dimension of spirit, and this dimension is the root of our uniqueness, and existential yearning. For in this dimension we have a motivating force that is never static and never asleep. It is the search for meaning that Frankl witnessed as ever reaching out and beyond ourselves toward Reason, and purpose, a higher value, and ideal, to live for. Frankl outlined three ways in which we may live meaningfully in our everyday lives: (1) through the realization of CREATIVE VALUES--what we give to the world in terms of work we do; (2) through EXPERIENTIAL VALUES--what we take from the world in terms of experiences in relationships, through nature, etc.; and finally (3) through ATTITUDINAL VALUES--the stand we freely choose in response to unalterable circumstances.

Springtime brings about changes. At this time, we may become increasingly aware that in our world nothing is stagnant, and nothing remains forever the same. While new life begins, suffering and pain are also present. And while we experience more warmth and light with our bodies, our minds may be also actively searching to integrate our experiences in our society, our community. Our soul, and our spirit leaps for MEANING. Meaning that is satisfying, life giving, and health producing. This search is not new to humanity and not new to ourselves. It is a search, though, that we may be increasingly aware at during this springtime of renewal and change.

So which steps can we take to live spring INSIDE as well as OUTSIDE?

1. Take care of our bodies, remember, we need to pay attention to simple details, however may seem irrelevant, such as, drink plenty of water, eat healthy, buy fresh vegetables, and fruits, exercise outside if possible, and do not forget sunscreen.

2. Be aware that our minds are more active processing outside information and stimulus as there are more activities we may participate in socially, at work, or in our families. Pay attention to our limitations, and allow ourselves enough rest. This is relevant for processing, storing, and using the information we receive. In social situations, reach out to others, and do not forget to smile--reflect good-will, reflect hope, and reflect that being with others counts: we value their time, their presence, their being. Offer ours help when possible, offer solace where appropriate. Offer a helping hand, offer optimism, offer hope.

3. Spiritually, let ourselves allow silence, meditation, and quiet time, to listen to the inner voice of our conscience guide our actions, our creative, experiential, or attitudinal choices. Allow ourselves an inner dialogue for self-refection, that will help us to self-transcend, rise above, upcoming hardships, and self-distancing, happy, humorous times, that allow us to put a distance between us and that what we are dealing with. Self-reflection will allow us to remain focused, and meditation or prayer will help us to get in touch with what is really important--it will keep our inner eyes sharp, and focused.--These are some of the ways in which we can live Spring on the INSIDE, when it is there, OUTSIDE.