Warning: To Thrive On Change, You Must Be Self-Aware
October 11th, 2007 by Galba Bright
“Everything can be taken away from man but one thing-to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankyl, Man’s Search for Meaning
How Viktor Frankyl Discovered The Meaning of Life
The Austrian psychologist, psychiatrist and neurologist Viktor Frankyl was once asked by his students to express the meaning of his life in one sentence.
He wrote his answer on a piece of paper and asked his students to guess what he had written. The students thought for some time and, eventually, one of them said:
“The meaning of your life is to help others find the meaning of theirs.”
At first, Frankyl was surprised. Then he agreed:
“That was it exactly…those are the very words I had written”
His book “Man’s Search for Meaning” was first published in English in 1959. Frankyl documented his horrifying, dehumanising experiences of life in the Nazi death camps.
Frankyl’s key insight was that each of us is responsible for, and must fulfil the potential meaning of his or her life.
Why Viktor Frankyl Was A Personal Development Pioneer
Without Frankyl’s insights it’s unlikely that Stephen R. Covey would have written the New York Times bestseller, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Habit # 1 in that book, Be Proactive, was penned by Covey, yet the paradigm on which it is based was shaped by Victor Frankly’s amazing story. To his credit, Covey acknowledged this profound influence.
Read M Scott Peck’s The Road Less Travelled and you’ll again notice the impact of Frankyl’s ideas.
Viktor Frankyl’s story challenges you (and of course, me) to ask whether you take responsibility for your life. If you do, you will:
1. Search yourself to understand your strengths and weaknesses, instead of running from your own shadow.
2. Fully express your true talents, instead of hiding behind the curtain of false modesty.
3. Act pro-actively, even in challenging situations, instead of behaving like a victim.
4 Questions For You
1. Can you see how these 3 activities are closely related to your self-awareness?
2. Do you understand why raising your self-awareness is the best way to improve your emotional intelligence?
3. Do you have the self-awareness, adaptability and resilience to thrive on change ?
4. What areas of yourself do you need to develop ?
I’m curious to know about your experiences and feelings about how you deal with change and I welcome your feedback and comments throughout this Thriving On Change Series.
Download the Thriving on Change Presentation in pdf format.
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Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Blog, Managing Yourself, Self Awareness |
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