Dr. Viktor Frankl
With a world that seems so extraordinarily out of our control, it is easy to feel stressed and hopeless. Granted, there are many reasons to feel that way, but we believe that it is extraordinarily important to recognize our own agency and to intentionally shape our attitudes accordingly. This is not to minimize the impacts of the stressors people are feeling right now, rather, it is to provide a source of empowerment. There is a renowned and prolific psychologist that we would like to acknowledge when making this assertion – Dr. Viktor Frankl. Dr. Frankl is best known for creating logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy, after being the sole surviving member of his family from the Holocaust. During this time, he showed extraordinary resiliency, experiencing four different Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. In his creation of logotherapy, Dr. Frankl asserted that humans are motivated by a “will to meaning”, which means that humans have an innate desire to find some meaning in life, and that they can endure the most challenging of circumstances if they are motivated by their meaning. Frankl wrote:
“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.”
Even if we cannot change a single thing about our circumstances, we can change our attitude to those circumstances. At PFD, we recognize the challenges that face leaders today, and we know they are numerous and difficult. This being said, we encourage leaders to take action to change their attitudes and to find meaning and empowerment despite this particular season.
One of the ways that we have found changes our attitudes is by simply introducing gratefulness into our day-to-day routine. Amie Gordon, PhD, a research scientist at the University of California, has said “gratitude is a powerful way to boost well-being”, and we have found that to be the case. Studies have shown gratefulness to be linked to improved quality of sleep, self-control, relational harmony, happiness, and generosity. Gratitude has also been shown to reduce depression and have lasting neurological positive impacts on the brain.
At PFD, November has kicked-off a month-long celebration of gratefulness. For us, per a logotherapeutic lens, we have been thankful for the relationships that we have in our lives. We are also grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting our clients in doing great work throughout this pandemic. The chance to focus on others has helped tremendously helpful when we have felt stressed, as it has taken our focus away from our challenges, and towards helping others. We are grateful that we have meaning and purpose for our business, to aid in stewarding a movement that creates world, no matter where you are born, anything is possible. We are grateful that we are able to safely get outside to the mountains in Colorado, and that the wildfires have greatly slowed with the snowfalls in the past few weeks. Finally, we are grateful to be a part of a network of leaders who, despite the outside circumstances, are relentless in their fight to make the world a better place.
In the midst of this extraordinarily challenging season, we remind you that you have control over your attitude, and it is important that you take action to positively shape your attitude. At PFD, we have found that gratefulness to be an important first step.
A session with one of our clients - Hometrends - that has shown great resiliency and commitment throughout this pandemic
Actions You Can Take:
1. Commit to a daily gratefulness practice: write down five things every day that you are grateful for.
2. Verbally express your gratitude each day. Saying “thank you” can be a knee-jerk reaction, so try changing the words you say to be more intentional about expressions of gratitude. For example, instead of saying “thanks for helping Jack with his homework today”, try saying, “I am very grateful that you helped Jack with his homework – it reduced my stress and it was really helpful to him”
3. When you hear negative news, actively remind yourself of the positives in your life as well as actions that you can take that are within your control.