“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
For three years during World War II, Viktor Frankl was held in four different concentration camps, including Auschwitz. His parents, brother and pregnant wife all perished during that time. Frankl worked as a therapist in the camps and created a unit designed to help newcomers to the camp overcome shock and grief. His memoir, Man’s Search for True Meaning, is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit.
Frankl believed that we cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. He wrote, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” At the center of his theory, termed logotherapy, was his belief that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.
Frankl experienced the worst of human conditions for the three years he was held in concentration camps. He was surrounded by grief and misery. One grey sky morning, Frankl was working in the trenches of the concentration camp, hacking at the icy ground. He contemplated his imminent death in a hopeless, meaningless world. Suddenly, a ray of light from a distant farmhouse pierces through the darkness and Frankl feels the presence of his wife’s spirit. At that very moment, a bird perched on the heap of soil he had just shoveled, and looks at him intently. From that point on, Frankl made the conscious choice to live a live of purpose and choose his attitude.
While Frankl’s descriptions of life in Nazi death camps are unimaginable, his message on spiritual survival resonates. In life, we all face adversity and circumstances but we have the power to choose our attitude amid circumstances. For each of us, there may be a special image, quote, or person that can help remind us to choose positive. For Frankl, it was the bird that perched before him and gave him hope. You might consider taking this image of a red cardinal, print it out and hang it on your wall. Let this image always remind you: to choose your own way.
