Entrepreneur Peter Burton was at the top of the world.
Until he wasn’t.
Burton lived the life everyone dreamed of, caring for himself, and was the great husband and father of his family.
And on one fateful day, his world was shattered:
Terminal cancer diagnosis.
Work has become less important and other experiences have stopped retaining meaning. He tried to pick up the work, lamenting the future he could not live in. He couldn’t see his children growing or getting older with his wife.
Burton shared these thoughts and experiences in what he called an absolutely heartbreaking book. It’s not gone, And one paragraph is always stuck with me.
One day, Peter’s body was destroyed, succumbed to cancer, his head hurts, and his mind is lower than ever before. Defeated, he said to his supportive wife:
“I haven’t seen the points.”
She replied, “So find it.”
Finding the points became the key.
Burton was given a life sentence and chose to “find the points of life” by writing a book that his children could read. A book that allows others to read and analyze the meaning of their own lives.
I was thinking “finding points became the point,” but revisited another of my favorite books inspired by a recent episode about my friend Bruty McKay. The art of masculinity Podcasts.
Search for meanings of men
Victor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor, psychotherapist, and creator of a type of treatment called “logotherapy.”
After surviving the fears of Auschwitz and other concentration camps, he wrote the first draft of his book, Search for meanings of men, In 9 days.
He even planned to publish it anonymously, but at the last moment he was convinced to give him his name and add gravity to his survival story.
Since then, it has sold over 16 million copies and translated them into over 50 languages.
Frankl’s School of Thinking, Logotherapy, is built around the idea that “the meaning of life is to find the meaning of individual people’s lives.” He often says Nietzsche’s famous things:
“People with a reason to live can withstand almost any way they can.”
Through this book, Frankl sees thousands of people die or get killed and explains his thoughts and remorse about life.
What’s most memorable about this short book is Frankl’s ability to find meaning and hope for humanity in one of the worst human atrocities committed to this day.
The second half of the book immerses deep in “logotherapy,” encouraging us to find our own specific “meaning.”
“The meaning of life varies from person to person, day to day, and time to time.
>What’s important is not the general meaning of life, but the specific meaning of a person’s life at a particular moment. ”
You will not be diagnosed with terminal cancer or suffered from concentration camp brutality.
But perhaps in your life you are asking, “Why what am I doing?”
You might think that asking a question means there is something wrong with us. That we are not living now. I need help.
Frankl feels different. He thinks this question is critical and healthy:
“The biggest job for any person is finding meaning in their own life.”
What if you and that unpleasant conversation were actually part of the process?
What happens if the key is to ask that question?
Your “big reason”
We talk a lot about “What’s your big reason?” here in the Geek Fitness Rebellion.
If we think about it logically, we are trying to force ourselves to do things We are not wired (or necessary) to do.
of course We don’t want to burn extra calories, exercise early, or stuff our faces with comfortable food.
It requires extra effort, we must feel hungry, we must change our behavior. And our brains don’t want to do that!
This may not be the “meaning of life” type of thing, but it’s a really strong reminder to help us stay consistent when life gives us something other than consistency.
- Why do I wake up at 5am and go for a walk when it’s cold outside?
- Why say yes to salads and lean protein when cookies and donuts exist?
- Why do we sweat (gloss) and pick up weights (unpleasant)?
- Why do we feel ourselves mind-conscious by making ourselves breathe hard, running 5K or saying yes to yoga classes?
I talk about this a lot Our Coaching Client Members with NF Community:
I have a certain reminder why We often do this, but sometimes we are on track at these toughest moments after our motivations fade away.
Maybe we want to break the generational cycle of unhealthy relationships with food that we learned from our parents.
Maybe we want our kids to see that we can be strong moms and be happy to sweat and push ourselves.
Maybe we want to feel better about ourselves when we are looking in the mirror or when we know that we always feel better rear Training more than we felt in fronttraining?
Your challenge this week is to ask yourself why you are here:
- Why are you willing to experience the unpleasant thoughts and feelings that come with change?
- Why do you try to learn new skills and adjust how you eat?
- Why do you want to get up early and take the sofa less time?
Keep deepening your reasons. Keep asking “why” and see what comes up.
Please write it down.
Place it on a post-it note and paste it on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or car dashboard.
-steve
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