I have been reading "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor E. Frankl. The book starts as a memoir of Frankl's experience as a prisoner during the Holocaust in a Nazi prison camp. It is an emotionally charged account of the near desperation that surrounded all those that had their basic freedoms ruthlessly stripped. Throughout the experience, somehow, Frankl manages to retain some shred of hope and humanity. This he attributes to the ability to retain the one freedom that can never be taken from an individual. That is the freedom to choose the perspective from which a situation is viewed. Maintaining this ability is enough to retain meaning in life, no matter how dire the circumstances. Frankl quotes Nietzsche, "He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How."
Like most things in life I read or encounter, I want to apply these life lessons to health and Naturopathy. I believe this last quote perfectly encompasses the mindset needed to begin that journey to health. It is the Why that is crucial. The Why, the reason, is what inspires. It is the meaning and the purpose, propelling one forward toward an ultimate goal. Why allows us to hang on, even when the obstacles seem to great.
Why do you want to be healthy? Is it for family, for quality of life, for more energy? It really doesn't matter to me, nor should it. It only matters to you. Find your Why, embrace your Why. The How will then work itself out.
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