The Last of the Human Freedoms

In Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankel wrote that "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." On July 13th , we offer an unusual Global Read, You Can Choose Your Own Life. The subtitle is "Stories for Decision Making." There is nothing like stories and case studies to drive home clear lessons and this book has several for exploration. You Can Choose Your Own Life is intended to help children see many of the experiences we have in life, and how the way in which we choose to respond to them helps lend meaning to our lives. 

Barbara Kerr, one of the authors of You Can Choose Your Own Life has written an article, "Helping Middle School Kids Make Better Decisions," to demonstrate the intentions of the book. Remember, this book is not only for children, but for all of us who relate to children; as parents, grandparents, and caregivers to the next generation. Read Barbara's article and join her and Barry Sommers, the book's co-author in our next Global Read.

Last week I wrote the main message of the newsletter titled, It May Not Be as Ludicrous as it Seems, in which I asked for people to consider the creation of a new set of principles that speak to decent behavior—perhaps a new set of commandments for the twenty-first century. A number of you took the challenge to heart and have sent in your ideas. Thank you! I hope to keep the communication lines flowing. Please continue to send us your thoughts to our email .

Look to our NEWS section on the home page of our website and you'll see an article that includes ideas we have received. Ironically, there is a similarity of thinking between Frankel's quote above and the global catastrophes and how they make us all feel. We have become exhausted, and just don't know how to respond to what is happening around us. Just like Frankel, a Holocaust survivor, we struggle to find meaning in life and find ways to assert our free will. While Frankel put forth ways of realizing the meaning of life, he asserted that each of us wants to make a difference in the world. It is in these experiences, of which we are having many, that we come to different ways of formulating new approaches and attitudes to interact with life. I'll leave it here for you to continue the conversation.

With warm regards,

Marilyn 

This July 13, Join our upcoming Global Read at 4 pm PDT. 

Click here for registration and more information!
(Register to receive a link to the recording after the event!)  

This message from Marilyn Turkovich, Executive Director of the Charter for Compassion, appears in our 7/9/2022 weekly newsletter. To sign up for our newsletter, scroll all the way down to the end of this page to get to the bottom menu; in the newsletter section, enter your email address and click on subscribe.