My first notes on Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning

Chinese street-artist DALeast
(he took tangles of cables and created this)

The soul in distress has various avenues for self-preservation, among these are:  Comforting/soothing images from the past (visualization), seeking the beautiful from what can presently be seen (I think even through an other's eyes this would be possible and helpful ... Frankl describes this most as natural beauty seen with one's own eyes, but I think to extend the observation to any of the senses as an appreciation of Handel for example, or a beautifully turned phrase ... ), and a sense of humor (which manifests in many different cloaks ... perhaps even in tears I think)
He talks about those things we love ... as the quote "-the salvation of man is through love and in love."  I think he is really on to something there ... the places where our love is given/shared ...  a beloved, a child, a belief, an occupation or past time ... a pet, a hobby, a thing.  I think it is important to observe what we love and how we love (as Lewis' Four Loves explored).  A while back I said I wasn't going to think about love ... but I have thought, and felt about "it" quite a bit.  Love is ... truly is the greatest of these ...

 ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 I begin to understand and thus accept that now, too bad it couldn't come in the other order as faith might have aided.  Frankl has observed that the prisoner who has lost faith (in a better future) is doomed.  The book is not overtly spiritual, but I see it as a very pointed portrayal of the human predicament in general. As I see things, we are trying to survive in a very toxic hostile environment here on the "fallen" planet Earth.  In a sense mankind is in fact prisoner to the rule of evil.  "Wrapping" one's soul in a patchwork quilt of loveliness is a means of transcending the meanness of our present state I think. And ... I think it is almost certainly possible to "float" on that pool of joy that we ... hmmmm ... collect(?) for ourselves.  It seems critical to me that what one loves should be identified and nurtured/protected.

This Sunday the Pastor talked about the dual, and opposing, sides of our nature.  We have a "taste" for the "bad" stuff ... stuff that causes pain or moves us backwards.  I'll try to note the sermon here because I thought it totally rocked as excellent thinking on a topic, anyway ... This idea of victim of _______, what ever it might be, can be easily grasped as Holocaust Victim and this book serves as a guide, I think, for successfully navigating through various "sufferings".

People who suffer chronic abuses on either side of Power/Control dynamics, as either the "doer" or the "done to" can get pretty messed up in their souls.  Frankl observed that suffering can be borne in many different ways and he believes that we choose our way.  I think that is correct.  We choose.  I like his words: 

"Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms: to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one’s way."

 to choose one's attitude.  That particular flying job I want came to my attention very early on Sunday morning ... quite frankly, it, thinking about it ... and what I perceive to be the injustices surrounding not getting it, can still hi-jack my brain and my feelings ... I wanted it really bad ... and I earned it.  And ... for me to dwell "there" is suffering (on a small scale).  I am learning how to be aware of painful "things" without getting sucked in to the painful ... memories or images.  Maybe I am finally adapting to choose "better".

(time to go to my little job)