Are You A Prisoner Of Your Thoughts?

The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, who was a contemporary of Confucius, Lao Tsu, and the Buddha, is reported to have said that "you can never walk though the same river twice." More accurately, the English translation from the Greek goes thus: "The river where you set your foot just now is gone--those waters giving way to this, now this." Put simply, Heraclitus is telling us that we live in an ever-changing world, one that is filled with the ebbs and flows of life, of life energy. He's also advising us that, as the river (of life) changes, it's in the past, so let it go and move on! The "new" river offers water that is filled with possibilities and untapped potential, so be prepared to go with the flow! This is great advice for the New Year, don't you think?

Against this life-affirming backdrop, Heraclitus also said, "The sun is new again, all day." Now think about this simple-sounding statement for a moment, again especially as we all prepare for the New Year. Each new day represents a window of new opportunities, new adventures, and new life experiences! It's up to us, each and every one of us, however, to decide whether we want to step out into the light of the new day sun or hide in the sun's shadows and act as if "life just happens to us." Yes, it's our choice! And, remember, the world around us is going to change whatever we may decide, whether we like it or not. Indeed, there is another saying that goes like this: "If you want things to stay the same, then something is going to have to change!" Thank you, Heraclitus, for your ageless wisdom.

Another "philosopher" for our times (although he is not Greek!), is Phil Jackson, widely considered to be one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his book Sacred Hoops, Jackson cautions us to remember that the best way to realize our dreams is to wake up! In other words, our best days, our best years, and our best life can and will be more than just dreams if we "wake up" and take action (that is, not simply "decide" to do something, but actually do it!). Now isn't this also great advice? Heraclitus couldn't have said it any better. Coach Jackson, I hereby name you an "honorary Greek!"

So let's continue this line of reasoning a bit further. To paraphrase my mentor, the world-renown psychiatrist and existential philosopher, Viktor Frankl, each person should not ask what the meaning of her or his life is, but, instead, should recognize that it is s/he who is being asked. Put differently, each person is continuously being questioned by life; and s/he can only answer to life by answering for her or his own life.

All that is good and beautiful in the past is safely preserved in that past. On the other hand, so long as life remains, all guilt and evil are still "redeemable"...this is not the case of a finished film... or an already existent film which is merely being unrolled. Rather, the film of this world is just being "shot." Which means nothing more or less than that the future--happily--still remains to be shaped; that is, it is at the disposal of man's responsibility.--Viktor E. Frankl

So what do you want to do with your life, including your work life? Are you willing to step out into the sun's light and make each new day the "best ever" by taking advantage of what it has to offer you, as well as what you have to offer it? No matter how hard you try, you can rest assured, according to Heraclitus, that you really won't walk through the same river twice. So take that step. It's a new day. It's your best day ever! And guess what? When you get used to thinking, believing, and acting in this way, you'll find that there are even better days to come! In fact, by not holding yourself a "prisoner of your own thoughts," you can now look forward to your best year ever, both in your personal and in your work life! Happy New Year!

***

You can find out more about Dr. Alex Pattakos, author of the international bestselling book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, in his HuffPost Bio and at http://www.prisonersofourthoughts.com. See also his "Dr. Meaning" Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/DrMeaning. You can contact Alex at: [e-mail].

Comments

[Mark Goulston, M.D. - Huffpost Blogger]

Alex,
Thank you for another of your thought provoking and thought evoking blog. BTW do you see a difference between searching for meaning and seeking meaning? Given the two, I prefer seeking as in believing there is meaning in and to life and embarking on a journey to discover it. Search to me means looking for something that is elusive and hidden. I don't think meaning is hidden, if it is it's hidden in plain sight; one just has to see it.

Happy New Year to you my friend.

Mark

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Mark, Thanks for your comment. Interesting question. Personally, I do see a difference between "searching for meaning" and "seeking meaning" and I happen to prefer "searching!" To be sure, pure semantics aside, it IS a matter of preference as long as one views it as a "process" or "journey," like you said, through which we "discover" meaning. Importantly, one doesn't really "create" meaning; one "discovers" it. This said, the notion of "discovery" also suggests that something may, indeed, be "hidden" from view. Insofar as the "search for meaning" is concerned, being "hidden" would refer to a state of consciousness (i..e, the relationship between the observed and the observer) or awareness that effectively "prevents" us from seeing or discovering it.

[Russell Bishop - Huffpost Blogger]

Hello Alex:

Again, another timely and thoughtful reminder that we are creating our life experience every day. Thanks for contributing an ongoing dialogue around meaning. What a Blessing you are!

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks, Russell, your comment means a great deal to me. As you well know, the feeling is mutual. Creating our life experiences every day and discovering the "seed of meaning" that is contained within each of them, are not always easy, but they "are" necessary if we expect to reach our highest potential. Ultimately, living with meaning, regardless of whatever circumstances we may face, is the "key" (I hesitate to call it "The Secret"!) to authenticity and fulfillment. To quote from my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness." Thanks again!

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

Excellent. Very reassuring.

What could be better motivation for 2009 than to find that reification and failure to move on is entirely of our own self-obsessed making? i.e. it's not even the natural state or flow of events.

It is because we know already now that we will continue in the future to be free to choose and adapt that we are able to endure our freedom and the resulting responsibility.

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for your wonderful insights! Indeed, freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. Here's to a meaning-full 2009!

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Alex,

I loved reading your post - thank you! It is times like these that invite us to open up a new dimension in our lives and perhaps see the extraordinary in ways not otherwise available to us in lusher times. Such a blessing.

Up until quite recently, I have found myself hiding away somewhat but something is changing for me. I do want to step forward and contribute what I can to assist others. I am going for the best my life can be, downturns or not.

Recently, talking to an American friend, I was almost in tears as she spoke so deprecatingly of America and the American people. Going by her view, it seemed that Americans were being very hard on themselves for the apparent mess that is being experienced.

Americans I have met and known are wonderful people - no better or worse than any other - but actually often more courageous and resourceful than many. I think the world has yet to see the best of America yet.

I appreciate your bright and warm viewing point.

Blessings of joy for 2009.
Anne

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank YOU, Anne! Whether we would like to admit it or not, life is full of blessings, even during hard times. And I agree with you--the world has yet to see the best of America. With this in mind, let's try not to forget the words of Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right!" I think that the time is right for a "Can-Do" attitude right now, don't you?!

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Can Do? You bet! Can-Do reaches its finest moment now.

I watch this American space - and wait in wonder.

[jemiltd]

2009 (haiku)

potential untapped.
taking each day at it comes
times' future vision.

EJoyceMoore

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Very nice! Thank you!

[Alternoid]

Just pick up anything by Eckhart Tolle. It's simpler to understand.

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Although I don't agree with you, I do greatly appreciate that you shared your opinion! And, remember, you can't walk through the same river twice. Now that's not too difficult to understand, is it?!

[cayuse]

Sounds like we should live NOW with no thought of what we had or what we will have. Buddha said "All is Change" too very much like this.

Not bad. But I would quote you cannot "Solomon in all his glory could not add 1 cupit onto Gods". Calvin was good reading, but not for me

Simply I do not put "piles of material accumulation" worth much in the NOW. JOY and Happiness felt from within and not on the backs of others. Does it all for me.

Right now, Others doing harm to others bothers me WAY too much though.

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

As I mentioned in my post, the Buddha was a "contemporary" of Heraclitus. Living in the NOW is only part of the message that I tried to convey here. Understanding that "change" is a given part of "life" is, I submit, a baby step towards building personal resiliency, remaining open to the unlimited possibilities that lie before us, and engendering a sense (let me also call it "audacity") of hope for a positive future. In turn, by not becoming or being "prisoners of our thoughts," we not only can embrace change but "leverage" (I don't like this particular word) it for personal and the collective good. Heraclitus, Jackson, and Frankl, in their own unique way, are trying to guide (or "coach") us on the search for authentic meaning in life. There is enough "darkness" in the world; they are attempting to point us towards the "light." I hope that this makes sense. Doing harm to others, by the way, is not the way towards the light! Thank you so much for your comment.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

getoffthecross,

"but what we do today determines the fate of those future generations.". Yes, that's very true, including what we tell ourselves about the future.

Maybe no one will remember this blog or these articles, but if someone is inspired to take enlightened action because of reading them, they might just be the person who turns the tide for future generations.

Viktor Frankl's words were written in the last century and we still remember them, still are impacted by them. And I, for one, am still inspired by them.

Thank you, Alex, for helping to keep Frankl's work alive and relevant to our lives today AND beyond.

All the best,
Judith Rich

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Judith, you are a kindred spirit! Thank you for your insightful comment. I remain very close to the Frankl family and, as part of my "meaning ministry," I am authentically committed to keeping Viktor's "work alive and relevant to our lives today AND beyond." I greatly appreciate hearing from people who recognize how important his legacy is for all of humanity. I always strongly encourage everyone with whom I come into contact to read (and re-read) at least Frankl's classic bestseller, "Man's Search for Meaning," which the Library of Congress named one of the 10 most influential books of the 20th Century. Happy New Year!

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Hum, "getoffthecross" says a lot about you! And why do I feel like you've thrown a shoe at both me and Vitkor Frankl?! We both ducked, by the way.

I do greatly appreciate your comment, even if I disagree with your basic premise (As I point out in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, "difference is the beginning of synergy.") How do you know for certain (your words suggest that you ARE certain) that no one will remember "the details of our time" 100 years from now? Hasn't such lapses of memory been a "cross" that humankind has had to bear, and which has influenced history in negative and pessimistic ways? Perhaps this is the real cross from which we all need to get off! Let's learn and grow, in other words, from the events of the past but not be tied to them in ways that do not serve our highest good. If this is something that you think is in my "pipe," I'm willing to smoke it!

Hunter S. Thompson? He's not one of my heroes, nor do I want to live or end my life in the same way. But again, I respect the differences between us! Happy New Year, if you believe in such silly things!

[dryrock]

I enjoy reading your posts. When I saw the link to this one I jumped on it.

I've read Frankl, but frankly found it unapproachable, very difficult reading, especially for an agnostic. My take on Hunter Thompson is that his work brushes too closely with nihilism, not appealing to me. I was exposed to the river proverb as a seminarian some 40 years ago, and find it so true - but then it reminds me of the old saying (wish I had a source) 'le plus le changement, le plus le meme chose' - which paradoxically seems to be just as true. Could you comment?

(Also, I found it uncharacteristic of you to end your reply to getoffthecross with "But again, I respect the differences between us! Happy New Year, if you believe in such silly things!" That last phrase reads a little passive aggressive to me. Can you elaborate?)

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

First of all, I'm pleased to hear that you enjoy reading my posts AND I want to thank you for sharing your comments. They are very much appreciated.

Many people find Viktor Frankl's works to be difficult reading, so you are not alone. Even his classic, Man's Search for Meaning, requires more than one sitting and go through. Regarding your question about "the more things change, the more they stay the same," it is a matter of perspective. Fundamentally, it is important to underscore, without going into a heavy discussion of quantum mechanics, that everything in the universe is in a state of flux. Insofar as "change" is concerned, it also matters (no pun intended) what kind of change we are seeking and whether it is contributing to or advancing our (individually and collectively) "highest good." There is a similar saying in organizational science that goes something like: "Organizations change in order to stay the same!" In this regard, we need to analyze the change beneath the veneer and, as Frankl and I would argue, seek to discover the deeper meaning behind the "change." Due to space limitations, I'll have to submit a second comment in order to respond to your other question.

[dryrock]

To clarify, when I wrote "That last phrase reads a little passive aggressive to me" please read as well, "which I doubt was your intention. Can you elaborate?"

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Part II: As a very passionate Greek-American (of Cretan heritage), I'm not known as someone who is "passive-aggressive!" Hence, my last comment to getoffthecross (i.e., "I respect the differences between us! Happy New Year, if you believe in such silly things!") was intended to be respectful of our obvious differences in opinion, and I truly wanted to end my comment wishing him or her a "Happy New Year" (which I wish for everyone on the planet and beyond!). Since getoffthecross, however, came across (again, no pun intended) as being pretty cynical, I added the "silly things" bit with tongue in cheek. I was actually hoping for a retort, but apparently my comments were lost in cyberspace, if not in translation!

[wm1066]

I love Heraclitus. wish more of his writings had survived. For me he beats Plato.
Wasn't Viktor a holocaust survivor? Didn't alot of his ideas come out of a death camp?
Man you got to be on to something when you can have ideas of hope from a death camp.
But I was hoping for more stories on how we are trapped by our thoughts. More of the "Klugy" way our mind works.

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm glad to hear that you love Heraclitus. Yes, Viktor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor and many of his ideas resulted from his horrific experience in the death camps (he survived four of them). However, his basic philosophy about the search for meaning, which became his System of Logotherapy, was crafted well before his ordeal in the camps. In fact, his first articulation of this philosophy was published in a professional journal on psychoanalysis at the invitation of Sigmund Freud when he was only a high school student! As it turned out, his concentration camp "experience" proved to be the empirical "acid test" of his existential philosophy and related beliefs.

Regarding more "stories" on how we are "trapped by our thoughts" and the way out of our "inner mental concentration camp," l recommend that you read my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts. You'll be interested to know that I once had a conversation with a literary agent who wanted me to title my book, "Trapped by Our Thoughts!" When you read my book, you'll learn why I chose not to do so, as well as learn more of the "Klugy" way our mind works! In this regard, please also read my previous posts on HuffPo, which are focused on "Living with Meaning." Thank you for your comment.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Alex another wonderful and caring blog. What a beautiful man you are. You words are like pearls of wisdom and compassion. I feel you care.

Deb and I lived in Dartmouth, England, a quaint town on the river Dart. We would take walks along the Dart each day. One day it really struck me how the river was not the same river because the water was constantly different. Your story reminded me of those special days.

May your New Year be a blessed one, Happy 2009

Ed

[Alex Pattakos - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks, Ed, for your glowing review! And thanks for sharing the experience that Deb and you had in Dartmouth, England. May your New Year be a blessed and meaningful one too!

[getoffthecross]

100 years from now no one will remember this blog or these articles or most of the details of our time, but what we do today determines the fate of those future generations.

Put that in your pipe, Frankl. :)

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Hunter S. Thompson