Uncovering Purpose in Times of Crisis: Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy and Modern Paths to Meaning

Sometimes it feels like we’re caught in an existential roundabout, spinning endlessly in the search for purpose. Viktor Frankl famously noticed that over half his patients in Vienna’s clinics felt a nagging emptiness inside—a void that only seemed to widen the more they wrestled with “What am I here for?” Yet, he offered a sly twist: the cure is not in hunting for purpose as if it’s buried treasure, but in building meaning through acts of courage, small steps, and a willingness to weather life’s absurdities. If only meaning came with step-by-step instructions, we’d all be thriving and comparing notes, not refreshing self-help feeds at 2 a.m.

Here’s the delicious contradiction: the harder we chase meaning, the faster it sprints away. Frankl nailed it—a desperate grab for fulfillment pushes it beyond reach, just as fear can sometimes summon the very thing we dread. In trying to crack the secret, we often spin ourselves up into knots of stress, guilt, and that 3 p.m. urge to flee to Bali and open a coconut stand. Why? Because there’s a sneaky myth that meaning is a fixed thing, found once and held forever. But real life—messy, shifting, hilarious—has other plans. Meaning evolves. It changes as we do. Sometimes it sneaks up on us in the middle of folding laundry, or when we surprise ourselves with a brave act of kindness.

Pause and look around. Society says we must chase applause, material prizes, and perfect Instagram moments—but what if all that posturing only heaps more anxiety on an already overloaded pile? We rarely ask: what if the joy of simply being is what fills us up, instead of the endless hustle for significance? What if staying present, helping a friend, or daring to enjoy your own peculiar rhythm is exactly the antidote?

The real advantage comes when you give yourself permission to stop demanding neon-lit answers. Inner peace, Frankl would argue, arrives not from a TED-worthy revelation, but from sitting gently with yourself, asking, “What brings my soul alive right now?” Let go of the feverish search. Stand still long enough to notice: happiness likes to slip in when you’re not paying obsessive attention.

So, here’s your cheat code: drop the anxious quest for capital-M Meaning. Laugh at the cosmic joke that it’s been inside you all along, biding its time among everyday moments. Say yes to curiosity, to slow service, to the awkward beauty of not knowing all the answers. Your unique journey unfolds at its own pace—not on someone else’s timeline, LinkedIn brag, or vision board. Each small kindness, every burst of honesty, is a puzzle piece in a purpose you get to define—again and again.

Dare to rest. Breathe out the shoulds. Start watching for joy in the ordinary, and let your own ordinary become extraordinary. When you finally stop chasing, you’ll notice something magical: peace grows wild where you’re willing to plant it. Meaning? It’s winking at you in the mirror, just waiting for you to wave back.