Purpose in the Face of Adversity

By on August 17, 2009 in Spirituality

As I was listening to Dr. Dyer’s prerecorded lecture on the power of intention, I was particularly moved by his story of Dr. Viktor Frankl, who lived through the horrors of a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. In a situation where most people would melt down both mentally and physically, Dr. Frankl found his purpose in surviving the concentration camp so he can tell the story. As many already know, he did just that. Thus the book, "Man’s Search for Meaning".

Surely, temporary unemployment pales in comparison to the unspeakable conditions of the holocaust, but that story did strengthen my resolve to find purpose in my situation. I read Part I of "Man’s Search for Meaning" many months ago, and the wisdom he shared about strength and resilience in the face of adversity began echoing in my mind. As he put it, don’t ask what you expect from life, ask what life expects from you.

I admit that there are times when it is extremely diffucult to avoid a nihilistic attitutude, but anectodes like this certainly infuse me with a great deal of confidence, if only for a moment.

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About farhad

I'm a 35 year-old divorced man from Phoenix, Arizona. I joined Intent.com on August 15, 2009 to complement my spiritual journey through Life. An urban planner by training, I recently became intimately familiar with the challenges shared by many others in this troubled economy. I'm happy to share with you my experiences through this challenging period. I believe there is a higher purpose to each life situation, whether positive or negative. I foster this attitude by studying the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, Ernest Holmes and other figures from various spiritual traditions, both ancient and contemporary. The most valuable insight I have gained so far is that true change begins from within and not without. In the immortal words of Mahatma Ghandi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
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2 Responses to Purpose in the Face of Adversity

  1. Tracey Whitney August 17, 2009 at 12:57 am #

    I can totally relate to that. I will check out that book btw. I was thinking about the power of intention today allot. :-)

  2. farhad August 17, 2009 at 12:15 pm #

    Here's the video if you're interested.

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-90028822…

    Not the best quality, but still decipherable :)

    Peace and blessings,

    ~Farhad