Year of Gratitude - Day 161 - Dr. Strecher, Julia and the Dung Beetle

Yesterday at the Development Council at the University of Michigan, we heard an absolutely incredible speaker, Dr. Victor Strecher. He is the author of On Purpose, a graphic novel-like book that "shows that self-directed, positive change is possible and that pursuing a self-transcending life purpose is one of the keys."

His story is heartbreaking and inspirational. His message spoke to me so much that I sat with a frog in my throat and tear welling in my eyes. And, Dr. Strecher started talking existentialism.


He also has a website that helps you to start seeking and realizing your life's purpose. Check out: http://www.dungbeetle.org.

And check out the book, too: http://www.dungbeetle.org/buy-the-book/.

I am so grateful to have had the chance to hear Dr. Strecher speak.

My early vote for Word of the Year: meaning

I briefly explored existentialism this year. So far I haven't been able to study the philosophy too much, but I honestly get a healthy fill from An Existential Life and that really gets me through. But following the path of curiosity has still had benefits.  A word that I have become a bit hypersensitive to is "meaning" and all of its variations. I read this fantastic article and wanted to share two snippets. I look forward to reading more of Umair Haque's work.

"When meaning comes last, we sleepwalk through our lives, zombies pirouetting in an empty theatre of choice."

"You and I, each and every one of us, have not merely the slack-jawed consumer's need to live pleasurably, but the enduring human responsibility to live lives that matter. Not for the sake of our own evanescent self-gratification, but for the enduring obligation of fulfilling, one tiny act of furious purpose at a time, the humbling privilege of life."

From: Wanting Meaningful Work Is Not a First World Problem October 11, 2012