The Gift of Purpose

Wow, that note to self really worked... Here I am finally ready to write my post. Here goes: First, I need to make a confession. I recently read an entire book and liked it! Now before you get too excited, I wasn't purposely reading for pleasure. No, as part of my research on phenomenology, I decided to read Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning." Dr. Frankl was a Jewish physician and pscyhotherapist who was imprisoned during WWII in a Nazi concentration camp. In his book, he writes about his observations of fellow prisoners behaviors in response to their situation. Frankl notes that those who were most resilient weren't necessarily those with the most physical strength, it was those who were able to find meaning in their suffering and a hope for the future whether it included them or not. Frankl concludes his work with a chapter on something he calls "logotherapy" which basically helping people discover the purpose and meaning of their existence. Overall, I found it a very intriguing read. Anyway, on to the actual story. I haven't written much since I stopped teaching. I guess I thought I didn't really have much to write about. Perhaps I might even go so far as to say that I was unsure of the meaning of my new (or not so new by now) position and on some days even felt like it lacked meaning. Well, just when you start to bust out with Ecclesiastes saying "Meaningless say the teacher, everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing gained under the sun..." Wouldn't you know it, God throws you a bone. Story #1: A former student who started her first job as a nurse in another city hundreds of miles of away described her fears and frustrations brought on by a lack of proper orientation. She was due to take an exam the following day that would determine the future of her job and she was stressed. Long story short, we were able to Skype a just in time skills lab on EKG rhythms and temporary pacemakers. She passed the test and I got to be "ProM" once again. Story #2: I was working at my real job this time, giving a little presentation on critical thinking and reflective practice to a bunch of new grad nurse residents. I used the example of Plato's Meno to describe how critical thinking is really about asking strategic questions. After the presentation, one of the students approached me. He was one of the new nurses hired for home hospice and he couldn't have been more than 22 or 23. "You're a nurse philosopher, right?" Oh boy, with that kind of an introductory question I was worried about what he was about to say next. "I've been having a rather large internal conflict lately regarding my job with terminally ill and dying people... and just life in general. How do you, in light of the kind of job you have, fight of the feeling of nihilism?" (Fortunately, Frankl had used that term in his book, mercifully, I could at least sort of interpret what he was asking.) Wow, poor kid, there's not much worse than going through life working at a job where everyone dies and you feel like it's all meaningless... So, we talked about his role in supporting people and their families during their final days. People who find meaning are generally die much more peaceful deaths than those who find their lives devoid of meaning. Isn't it an amazing privilege to be in a position where you may be able to help someone find meaning in their last days? Isn't there meaning in this sort of sacred bond of finding and making meaning with others? Viktor Frankl once said that meaning of his life was "help other people find the meaning of theirs." Meaning and purpose is a gift, it's THE gift that we can give others through the sorts of relationships we have them. Everyone is capable of giving the gift of meaning and everyone is capable of receiving the gift of meaning. Think about that for a moment and then think about the ultimate meaning, the one giving by God. Check out Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. Life a life of purpose and always be sure to give the gift of meaning by being purposeful in every interaction you have.

Note to Self...

Note to self, update your blog. Whether people read it or not, it's still a useful tool for reflection and proves that you didn't fall off the face of the planet. It's dissertation crack down time and I know that you haven't been surfacing for air much lately so I'm going to remind you of this. Write about pacer dry labs over Skype and talking philosophy with the "old souls" of home hospice. Think about the gift of purpose, it is everything. Now, go to bed knowing that you wrote yourself a reminder and eventually you will fondly remember the above story and write about it...