Whenever we create a "quality meaning" vacuum in life, the emotional and psychological aspects of our existence start to erode and diminish. Ultimately this will affect the physical.

As Victor Frankl points out, the ability to choose meaning in our lives is what makes us distinctly and uniquely human. So whether we derive life-enhancing meaning, or suffer from a lack thereof, our choice is going to affect every aspect of our reality.

Nature does not like a vacuum. When we fail to bring a transcendent meaning to our lives, whatever stimulus we are exposed to moves in and defines our internal understanding and knowing of ourselves. The risk is that without actively participating in the search for meaning, the "know thyself" quest becomes a shallow, unsatisfying excursion.

Frankl based his theory of the critical nature of the search for meaning on his real life experience as a Holocaust survivor. But what most interested me in this search is this: within the framework of personal and individual freedom to create meaning, are there some universal choices that would bring liberating results no matter what the underlining circumstances might be? To read on go to: