“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how” – Nietzsche
Viktor Frankl was a holocaust survivor and psychiatrist. In his amazing work; “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he upholds this quote. Frankl saw that even in the most wretched of conditions, if man has a meaning, then he can persevere. He then applied this approach to suicidal patients to surprisingly great success.
When we lose our ‘why’, we collapse under the ‘how’.
Like a energetic child, I have always asked why only to find inadequate results. In my faith, this has been an incredible struggle. For God is a great mystery in many senses on purpose. He thrives in mystery. I fear that many hide behind his will as an excuse not to ask the this question. As I grow older, I realize the tremendous freedom that he gives us in answering our why. Yes, our ultimate why is to bring glory and renown to his name, but practically speaking, the rest is a blank slate.
Many of us have a why at some point in our life but we often lose track of it in our day to day grind. Whether it is to be a great parent or write the great American novel, we get lost under the how. Perhaps a why deferred is no why at all. Perhaps it is simply a prop to hide behind. Today, I encourage you to remember your why. Craft it into your being. Soon enough you will meet the grave and have to give an account. Your why will be the story you leave behind.
Matt simon blog 