Your last human freedom
Your last human freedom
How do you feel about Facebook groups? A pretty random question for a Friday morning…
I’ve never had particularly strong opinions about it one way or the other – but there seems to be a sub-culture of people that take them very seriously. Let me give you some context: I live in a beautiful small town on the West Coast. It is peaceful, quiet, safe, everything you could hope to wish for in my estimation. Like most towns, ours also has a Facebook group. In the past, it was mostly used to share pictures of the sunset, which is often rather spectacular. Yet, over the last number of months, some members have decided that this is the perfect platform to pick fights. About everything.
And I do mean everything: The right way to walk your dogs on the beach. The traffic light sequence (our town only has two robots, with one being particularly bothersome). How the decorations in the town should or should not be painted. The traffic surrounding the school. You know, the most important things in life.
It is bloody entertaining watching adult human beings brandish each other as criminals over petty, inconsequential things.
It is interesting to witness this phenomenon, while people very close to us are going through actual, life-altering difficulties. What has been most striking, has been the level of courage and dignity that these people have shown whilst living through these challenges – the exact opposite behaviour you would find on most Facebook groups.
This reminded me of a very striking quote by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, who spent almost four years of his life in Nazi concentration camps:
“Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
This man lived through some of the harshest times that any human being is likely to ever experience. He had all the reasons in the world to be bitter, resentful and angry. Yet, he learned that he always had the freedom to choose his attitude. That is something that nobody could ever take away from him.
So whether you live in an idyllic seaside village with two robots, are facing severe health concerns, are mourning the loss of a loved one, feel uncertain about the year ahead or are worried about your finances or family, remember: You have the freedom to choose your attitude and your way.
If you need some help regaining your “freedom” we would love to help, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
