Living a life with meaning

My mother and grandmother were both nursing sisters. And apparently very good ones too, when I asked my family about them. When it was time for me to choose an occupation, I chose to work behind the scenes, in pathology and later on, in medical aid administration. I didn`t know myself when it was time to choose a profession, who does at eighteen years old? Instead of working with people, I chose to work with analysing blood samples and specimens, and later on, with statistical data. It was only years later, having what I consider, a constructive middle age crises, when I felt a need for meaning and purpose, that I started to consider working with people.

One of the most influential books I`ve read, is titled Man`s search for meaning, written by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. I`ve often re-read this book, it remains an awe inspiring insight as to how his struggles and suffering in the death camps distilled in Viktor a tremendous love for his fellow man. The message of his work is that Man should find his purpose and meaning in what is important to him, whether it is in service to others, a connection to our Creator, having a family or something else.

It`s also very beneficial to identify our personal core values when it comes to choosing an occupation. Personal core values are beliefs that are very important to you, which act as motivating forces. For example, important  core values to me are freedom, integrity, honesty, adventurous, authenticity and creativity. When I identified my core values, it became easier for me to choose the type of work that would satisfy my core values and so create meaning for me.

I imagine I would have made a good detective. I enjoy trying to understand people`s motives

instead of the things they do. While I would have loved to become a psychologist, building a practice from scratch in your middle age, is a daunting task. So I choose to become a therapist where I assist people with pain. In the years I had fibromyalgia, with pain a constant companion, I learnt pain can be a teacher, if we are willing to learn from it. Pain is not a  judgement, it`s not a punishment, it points to something or someplace in ourselves that we are not loving.

#LifeWithMeaning #HealPain