The Challenge of Tension

I'm reading Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, and find in it a number of very powerful thoughts. Frankls insists that it is our attitude that makes the difference in how we live our lives. He should know. He survived a concentration camp during WWII.

One sentence in particularly caught my eye: Mental health is based on a certain degree of tension, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish, or the gap between what one is and what one should become (104). In Frankls's mind, tension in our lives is healthy and to be expected. It is what keeps us searching and working toward a better "me". I consider it a dangerous misconception of mental hygiene to assume that what a person needs in the first place is... "homeostasis" i.e., a tensionless state.

During this time of Lent, it is good to reflect on such thoughts. Are you struggling right now with some difficulty? Take heart. It has the potential to offer you great growth. Are you trying to solve a problem? Your problem can lead you to a deeper level of consciousness. Is life hard for your right now? Then you have the chance to grow more than when things are going well.

I'll admit, such concepts are difficulty to grasp, and I'll be the first to say that given the choice, I'd really prefer the trouble free life. But since life does happen, Frankl's advise is worth considering. Then, when the chips are down and we find ourselves faced with choices, we can call to mind Frankl's words, that life is about how we live out our challenges, not on how much it conforms to our liking.