“Meaningful Living” -Many people are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. Everyday, there are more and more books out there about how to live “on purpose” and how to “find your purpose”. There are times when we ask the “big questions”. Why am I here? How should I best spend my limited time on this planet? What is really important to me? What is the meaning of suffering? Sometimes, feelings of free-floating anxiety, restlessness, boredom, apathy, confusion, and even depression are related to our need for real meaning and purpose in our lives. I have found the principles in the two therapies summarized below to be quite helpful for people struggling with a variety of life issues–from depression and anxiety to relationship problems and conflict.
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.“, Friedrich Nietzsche
Constructive Living is a wonderful approach for getting directly to what matters and to what can help in the here and now. It is based on Morita and Naikan Psychotherapy. These are Japanese Psychotherapies that have been translated and presented to the Western world by David K. Reynolds, and others. This approach to mental wellness often redirects us to our actions and how they are helping or hurting us and the people around us. Instead of judging ourselves and our behaviors as “good” or “bad”, we consider if what we are doing is effective or ineffective in helping us reach our goals. It also encourages reflection on our relationships with others. You can find out more about these interesting and practical approaches to well-being through the ToDo Institute at www.todoinstitute.org.
Logotherapy
The development of Logotherapy/Existential Analysis dates back to the 1930’s. It was developed by Dr. Viktor Frankl (1905-1997). He was a neurologist and a psychiatrist. Dr. Frankl is the author of “Man’s Search for Meaning”, and several other books. In this book, he not only talks about the principles of Logotherapy, but he also talks about his personal experiences in several Nazi concentration camps during World War II. I would highly recommend his book.
Briefly, Logotherapy is based on three ideas:
1. Freedom of Will : We are not completely controlled by, or at the mercy of, our circumstances and our environment. We make choices every day–every hour. While many things may happen that our not within our control, we always have the opportunity to choose how we respond to situations, to people, and to our own thoughts and feelings. We are capable of actively shaping our lives. Our freedom of will can help us to overcome the problems we face.
2. Will to Meaning: We are not only free, but we are free to do something..namely, to achieve their goals and purposes. In Logotherapy, the search for meaning is seen as the primary motivation for humans. Sometimes, when a person cannot realize their “will to meaning”, they may experience an abysmal sensation of emptiness, meaninglessness and frustration. The inability to work toward our meaningful goals can give rise to aggression, addiction, depression and even suicidality. It can also increase the symptoms of medical problems.
3. Meaning in Life- According to Logotherapy, we are called upon, on the grounds of their freedom and responsibility, to bring forth the best possible in ourselves and in the world. Everyone finds different meaning and different purposes in their life. We are all unique, and no one can tell us what is meaningful to us.
To learn more about Logotherapy, I recommend this site http://logotherapy.univie.ac.at/