Meaning in Life Questionnaire The “Will to Meaning” or desire to find meaning in life is, according to the late Viktor Frankl, essential and necessary for human happiness. Frankl was the founder of the existential therapy known as Logotherapy. In short, a human life is incomplete without meaning. No matter what else a person has…
The philosopher Nietzsche famously said, “[h]e who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” Today, we see a growing sense of unhappiness, boredom, depression, loneliness and, increasingly, suicide. Several research studies showed a connection between retirement and early death. Many parents, especially the stay-at-home parent, suffer depression when their children leave home…
A few years ago while serving as a Chaplain resident, I was called to the room of a patient who was actively dying. Even though I was well into my second year of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), I still felt a wave of sadness overtake me as I proceeded to be with the family of…
Are you finding that your relationship is defined by pain, bitterness and anger? Are you and your partner so stuck in the negativity of the past and so pessimistic about the future that you often fail to nurture the positive things that happen in the present? Is it becoming difficult to remember why you chose…
Celebrating food is in abundance during the holiday season. When we indulge in its richness during this season, it can be difficult to break habits that perpetuate the cycle. In order to “get back on track” we often look outside of ourselves to refocus. For example, external influences that motivate us maybe the beginning of…
For the first 20 or so years of my life, I knew I was going to be an elementary school teacher. I could envision writing on the chalkboard, decorating the room, and being the person holding the big book up front with all the answers in it. I had my own little chalkboard, and I…
Many people struggle with finding meaning and purpose in life. In the following ideas I offer five guidelines for a person struggling in this way. (1) Assess and then figure out what helps you want to live. Questions like ‘what gets me out of bed each day and gets me going?’ are an…
Alcohol and Drug Addiction- Stage One During the initial stage of addiction the addicts’ character is permanently altered. The basic illusion addiction is founded on is discovering alleviation via substances. The journey commences when the addict experiences the first high/mood change. In the mood change there is the illusion of control, convenience, and perfection. Compulsive…
I have always been a bit of a Pollyanna. I say this affectionately about myself. Because, in my line of work, I happen to know that Pollyanna Syndrome is protective against all kinds of physical and emotional maladies. If you believe that the world is essentially good, and that the people in it are also…
Sometimes I have a hard time deciding what to write for my blog entries. I will get this inexplicable urge to write, and some sort of inner push to put voice to screen. And then I say to the universe, “But I don’t know what I’m supposed to say today.” Do you ever have that…