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Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C 
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Home  > Tamilnation Library  > Unfolding Consciousness  > Alex Pattakos - Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work

TAMIL NATION LIBRARY:  Unfolding Consciousness

A revised edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts was released in 2008 in paperback with a new subtitle, "Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work." This paperback edition includes a new chapter on how readers of the hardcover edition have put the seven principles into action in their everyday lives, in their work, and even in extreme situations such as in Indonesia after the tsunami (where several aid agencies adopted the book as part of their training and relief programs) and in post-Katrina New Orleans. The new edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts also has been released as an Audiobook in both a 4-CD Set and in digital download format

Why do some people seem to have an easier time dealing with complex and challenging situations than others?  Why do some people seem more capable of dealing with change than others? Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work applies the therapeutic system of world-renown psychiatrist and philosopher, Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, to contemporary life and work situations. Learn how to bring deeper meaning and fulfillment to your everyday life and work, and achieve your highest potential!

"With the seven magnificent principles Dr. Pattakos describes in this important book�let me suggest two ideas on how to get the very most from this book. First share or teach the core principles one by one to those you live with and work around. Second, live them. To learn something but not to do it is really not to learn."  � Dr. Stephen R. Covey (Author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

Seven Core Principles

1. Exercise the freedom to choose your attitude - in all situations, no matter how desperate they may appear or actually be, you always have the ultimate freedom to choose your attitude.

2.Realize your will to meaning�commit authentically to meaningful values and goals that only you can actualize and fulfill.

3. Detect the meaning of life's moments�only you can answer for your own life by detecting the meaning at any given moment and assuming responsibility for weaving your unique tapestry of existence.

4.Don't work against yourself�avoid becoming so obsessed with or fixated on an intent or outcome that you actually work against the desired result.

5.Look at yourself from a distance�only human beings possess the capacity to look at themselves out of some perspective or distance, including the uniquely human trait known as your "sense of humor".

6. Shift your focus of attention�deflect your attention from the problem situation to something else and build your coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and change.

7. Extend beyond yourself�manifest the human spirit at work by relating and being directed to something more than yourself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The late Viktor Frankl's hopeful Man's Search for Meaning emerged from his experience in a Nazi concentration camp. With Frankl's blessing, Pattakos, a cofounder of the Innovation Group consultancy and a former professor of public and business administration, applies Frankl's lessons to corporate America's workplaces. Logotherapy, Frankl's therapeutic approach, says we are free to respond to all aspects of our destiny; Pattakos argues that if we all have a will to meaning, then even if we work for unenlightened companies, we can still "connect meaningfully with others" within the workplace. Finding your sense of humor, giving to others and forgiving, and "de-reflecting" (or shifting your focus of attention) are all strategies for connection; one should consider "ten positive things" when losing a job or taking a pay cut. Pattakos ends each chapter with a "Meaning Moment" and a "Meaning Question," which can seem contrived (how exactly is your work like a "mission"?) and a lot of the advice will feel like familiar workplace etiquette that has been rebranded. Still, Pattakos's is a humane approach that allows for purpose in even the most purposeless-seeming environments, which is surely palliative care�if not a cure�for work ruts. The foreword is by The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People author Stephen R. Covey.  Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc". All rights reserved.

Review

"A unique blend of erudition and creativity. Immensely readable." -- Dr. Franz J. Vesely, Director of Documentation, Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna, Austria

"In bringing Viktor Frankl into the workplace, Pattakos has produced a thoughtful and powerful guide that offers insight and wisdom." -- Alan M. Webber, Founding Editor, Fast Company

"Pattakos's is a humane approach that allows for purpose in even the most purposeless-seeming environments." -- Publisher's Weekly, November 15, 2004

"Those who seek meaning in work and life will find much value in this practical application of Viktor Frankl's wisdom." -- Dee Hock, Founder and CEO, Visa; Author, Birth of the Chaordic Age

"Viktor Frankl's principles and methods have at last been set free to be used and enjoyed in the work situation." -- Dr. Patti Havenga Coetzer, Founder, Viktor Frankl Foundation of South Africa
 

 

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