The Meaning Project

I often speak of turning suffering into achievement in my logotherapy work - one way to do this is by becoming more RESILIENT. Resilience has become an important field of major study in recent years, and Dr. Steven Southwick has led the way with some outstanding research.
However, the world lost a great contributor to the field of Resilience and Mental Health & Meaning in the past few weeks. Dr. Stephen Southwick was a brilliant researcher and author who passed away in April 2022 after a long-standing battle with cancer. I thought it would be an appropriate way to honor his memory to share with you from his book, Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges. I hope you enjoy, and find ways to bring resilience training into your daily life. Enjoy!

To read Southwick's book in it's entirety, pick it up here: https://amzn.to/3OX5s4j

And, if you are digging that sweet The Meaning Project Podcast sweatshirt I have on in the Youtube video, or the coffee mug I am drinking out of, check out our store at https://the-meaning-project-podcast.creator-spring.com/

And finally, if you would like to support these efforts and become a Patron on our Patreon page, take a look at https://www.patreon.com/themeaningprojectpodcast

You may have noticed I missed a week - you can hear a little bit about why in this podcast, it's just been a busy few weeks, but this last week was especially rough. I hope you don't mind me sharing about it, and how I apply the principles of Logotherapy in my own life in this episode. I also share about some of the writings from Dr.'s Maria & Edward Marshall's latest textbook on Existential Dynamics, or "noo-dynamics", and the spiritual aspects of logotherapy. Enjoy!

And, as I mention in the episode, if you'd like to purchase some of the sweet The Meaning Project Podcast swag, check out our store at https://the-meaning-project-podcast.creator-spring.com/

And if you would like to be a Patron on our Patreon page, take a look at https://www.patreon.com/themeaningprojectpodcast

I always get a little skeptical when standard behaviors for healthy humans become buzzwords - especially when those buzzwords seem somewhat politically motivated or forced in a way that causes the concepts to lose meaning. I've been curious about the "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" movement - now including "Belonging", for quite some time. Mostly because it seems forced, or maybe not fully embraced in a healthy way, and I wanted to learn more. Fortunately, my good friend of almost 30 years, retired Chief Petty Officer Joseph Otto Paul, finished his naval career as a "CCS" - Command Climate Specialist - responsible for DEI&B for the Naval forces stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He shares his understanding of DEI&B, why it is important in the United States military as well as in the civilian workforce. Through our discussion, he helped me see why DEI&B is an important component in a meaningful work environment, and how some companies are succeeding in making it work, while others might be more focused on just "checking the block".

This is a LinkedIn Live show with Cam Beaudoin of Accelerated Accessibility. In this stream, Cam and I talk about the nature of Mental Health and Meaning as it relates to today's post-pandemic (hopefully!) workplace climate. I even manage to sneak in some benefits of the MBTI here! Enjoy!

Sexual infidelity is often considered to be a 'deal breaker' in committed relationships. It is something I work with often in my clinical work, and I am happy to say, those couples who put forth the effort, DO come back from it. However, BETRAYAL takes on many forms - some so innocuous, we often don't consider them to be a breach of the committed contract. But they are. And they should be avoided if possible, or healed when they are committed. So, in this episode, I offer 10 betrayals to avoid. And with the help of Rabbi B., we discuss what they might mean in your relationship. Enjoy!

And, for those of you who want to rep your favorite podcast on Mental Health & Meaning (are there any others? If so, you gotta let me know!) We just launched a small merch store with our unique, one of a kind, logo created by Charles Crisler of 27 Design Co. (https://27designco.com/) - check it out here:

https://the-meaning-project-podcast.creator-spring.com/

I could sit and chat with these two wonderful individuals for days - but witnessing them go back and forth on all things Frankl and meaning; that was truly special. Pam and Alex are co-founders of The Viktor Frankl Institute of America. In this episode, Alex discusses the history of his grandfather's 10 Theses of The Person and the modern application of these principles, and both of them share about upcoming projects to bring more meaning to the world.

Recently translated and released on ViktorFrankl.org, Dr. Frankl's 10 Theses About the Person is considered to be "a fundamental text on Frankl's conception of the human being." You can tell, about 2/3 through the podcast, that I am in way over my head on this one... Fortunately, we will have a few people a bit smarter than me on the podcast soon to continue to discuss this writing. I thought it would be helpful to introduce it to you before Alex Vesely and Pam Roy come on the podcast to discuss.
Following the publication of his programmatic first book The Doctor and the Soul Frankl became a much sought-for lecturer and public speaker. At the 1950 Salzburg Summer Seminar he presented a keynote lecture in which he laid down his views on the human person in the concise format of a number of propositions. The text of his talk was later incorporated in some of his books.

With its clarity and compact structure "Ten Theses about the Person" is one of the core texts in Frankl's work.

I recently finished reading Johann Hari's latest book, Stolen Focus - Why You Can't Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again. I found it to be well researched and informative, and perhaps a little unsettling; so I thought I would share my perspective on it with you.

The past few years have been full of change in the work world, regardless of your occupation or vocation. In this episode, Rabbi B. and I discuss the logotherapeutic value of work in discovering meaning and in living a fulfilling life.

Rabbi B. and I discuss one of the most famous anecdotes from the life of Viktor Frankl and how you can apply it to your life. When Dr. Frankl was escorted to the Nazi concentration camps of WWII, he carried one thing with him - the notes for his manuscript, his life's work, the notes from decades of research, study, and practice, that he hoped to publish after the war. Upon entering the gates, everything was stripped from him, even this last tether to his former life. However, he was able to find hope - even triumph - in a blessing in another pocket. What are the blessings in your pocket? Enjoy!