Finding Meaning

Victor Frankl, was a man and physiologist who survived the concentration camps and who wrote Man's Search for Meaning, said that in the concentration camp the prisoners weren't allowed to stop a suicide attempt of a fellow prisoners so the person's friends would have to try to talk him/her out of it before it was too late.

In talking about these conversations he said "...the typical argument---they had nothing more to expect from life....it was the question of getting them to realize that life was still expecting something from them; something in the future was expected of them"

"This uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence had a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love. When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all it's magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the 'why' for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any 'how'." (p. 101 Mans Search for Meaning)

Spiral of Silence

During World War II when the German people wouldn't speak up, when they saw the horror that was occurring many of them choose not to speak. Could the horror been stopped if enough people said something? Years ago in New York City a woman was attacked and raped in front of on lookers. Not one attempted to help the woman---what happened? This is called the Spiral of Silence.

Abuse is occurring in too many homes (varying types and amounts) and yet no one says any thing. Too many people without voices. Abusers rely on helpless individuals that don't say anything.

If you are being abused or abusing some one please seek out help. Tell some one, don't allow the abuse to continue. Don't be a part of the Spiral of Silence.

This week I will be giving a seminar at Joan Male Family Support Center . This center helps families (with children) in crisis.

Friends and Family Finding Peace Part 1

My friends and family said:

Denise Hoca
"I find peace and happiness when I do what I know is right."

Kristie Simmons
"I have found happiness within... learning who I am and just how much I really matter to Father (Heavenly Father). The peace that comes in having that knowledge is beyond words."

Wise Words

I spoke to a woman the other day that underwent great adversity in her life caused by another. Other women going through what she has would have blamed themselves and internalized what had happened.

What does she say about it? "It's something that happened to me it's not who I am"---wow what an incredible insight and what an incredible woman.

Where some other's have found peace

Some Twitter friends responses:

schattke "Peace is when my heart can be healed of all issues and I am one with my self, others and God."

pjvc "God of course!"

jaddudek "over come issues by surrounding yourself with great people"

Good Comes from Bad things

Yesterday I had an appointment with a woman (my friend) who lost her daughters in a fire. She said something very profound "when something bad happens something always good comes from it."

I asked her "what do you feel good came from your daughters deaths?"

She said "due to their death many peoples lives have been saved. We were able to help many people also."

When the fire happened the girls were trapped in their bedroom, the windows were the only way out. Unfortunately they were too high for the girls to reach as well as too narrow for their father to rescue them through.

After the fire occurred my friend was interviewed by several news papers. Due to those articles it brought attention to the hazardous windows. Many people in the neighborhood soon after the tragedy replaced their windows with safer ones.

Due to the lost of their daughters they sought out other people that were in need of help. They had the need to help heal other wounded hearts. Through the years, my friends, have taken in many individuals that would have been other wise homeless.