What a year it has been.
As is often the case with the end of the year, we reflect on the past twelve months. I imagine we’ve all felt feelings of loss, helplessness, loneliness, fear, and everything in between.
I know I certainly did.
In the final three questions post of the year, I thought I’d change the format. I’m sharing three quotes that kept me going through this historic year, and some of the questions I’ve meditated on as a consequence.
On Man’s Strength
“Everything can be taken 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 own way.”
— Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
Frankl was a Holocaust survivor, psychiatrist, and author. He wrote his memoir, Man’s Search for Meaning, after surviving Auschwitz. He reminds us that no matter what the circumstance, we still have the choice to determine how we feel. While we had little control over our circumstances given the pandemic and sociopolitical unrest this year, we did in fact have control over our mindset about them.
Question one: What positive emotions can we choose to feel next year?
On Growth Through Suffering
“Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor."
— Alexis Carrell, French surgeon & Nobel prize winner
What a phenomenal analogy Carrell creates. To him, we are all artists. Our art is a sculpture depicting our lives. Suffering is an inherent component of the human condition. We all suffer. But we also have the ability to create something beautiful out of it.
Question two: What adversity did we face this year that we can learn from?
On What Is Just
“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.”
— Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration
Pericles' Funeral Oration was delivered by Pericles at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War as a part of the annual public funeral for those who died in war. I’m thankful my Pappou gave me an old copy of this speech in August. To see the emotion displayed in this speech in fighting for your nation was powerful. What especially resonated with me was the honor in defending the foundations of democracy. I commend many of those who fought for what they believed in this year.
Question three: What freedoms can we ensure we continue to defend going into next year?
Wrapping up
We likely learned more this year than we would have thought. Scars, after all, teach great lessons. It is the development of the mental fortitude Frankl reminds us of that can keep us going through difficult times. Sometimes, though, we just need to roll with the punches. Even if we don’t want to, we must keep our chin up, and power through challenging situations.
As President Obama says in his most recent memoir, A Promised Land:
“Either grab a drink and sit down with us, or get the fuck out of here.”
Cheers to a new year!
With gratitude,
aje
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