From time to time we run across people who seem to do everything wrong, in terms of typical MoodSurfing strategies, but who nevertheless is living a very creative and successful life. Very often the reason they can get away with it is because they have the “Super Mood Stabilizer” – a sense of purpose, a clear sense of what they want to do in their life and a dedication to doing it.
Similarly, when we find people who are really using all the strategies to live well, but are not doing so, it is often the case that their life has lost its sense of any meaning other than mastering their moods.
Viktor Frankl wrote vividly about the same idea, although in his case it was about who survived and who didn’t in the midst of the horrors of Nazi death camps. His book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” is the basis for Existential Psychotherapy or Logotherapy, as he called it. For more on this topic consider one of these excellent books on the topic….
- The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy by Viktor E. Frankl
- The Discovery of Being: Writings in Existential Psychology by Rollo May
- The Yalom Reader: Selections From The Work Of A Master Therapist And Storyteller by Irvin D. Yalom
- Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work by Alex Pattakos
- Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words by Kevin Hall
What are your thoughts on this super mood stabilizer? Have you read any of the books in the carousel above? Do you have any other book suggestions? Let us know!