Each year, I read Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It is one of the greatest books ever written and a reminder of the best and worst of the human condition.
The central premise of this famous book is that “to be human is to suffer,” and that how we handle our suffering defines us.
This became an unexpected topic of conversation with my friend Dana Malstaff. We were speaking at the same event recently, and I took advantage of the opportunity to bring together some friends for dinner. When the other two people paired off in conversation, Dana had a chance to say something to me privately—she was going through a gut-wrenching and stressful period.
The deep sadness on her face resonated with something buried in my own heart. For a moment, we were connected by the quiet acknowledgment that suffering, as Frankl taught, is universal—sometimes the greatest comfort is knowing you’re not alone in it.
The private moment passed as the server brought our food, and the four friends resumed a more public conversation. I felt inadequate as a friend, knowing that an opportunity to comfort her in the moment had passed.
The next day, I flew home to the other side of the country, but I could not get that look on Dana’s face out of my mind. I wrote some words of encouragement to her based on my own experience with suffering. I knew how hard it was to keep operating as a human and a business professional when the world crashes around you.
She appreciated my advice and suggested that our next Marketing Companion podcast episode could explore the theme of “persisting through suffering.” How do you keep going as a business leader when your mind and body want to quit?
I could not imagine a scarier topic. Which means … I should do it.
Meaning in Suffering
I didn’t know how this would go as a podcast episode, but I’ve learned that when something is out of my comfort zone, I need to pursue it. This is when I grow as a person.
So Dana and I talked openly about our suffering and our strategies to persist when the world won’t let us step off to catch our breath.
Before I turn to this conversation, I want to emphasize that I am in no way comparing myself to Viktor Frankl and the horrors he experienced in a Nazi concentration camp. I started this post with his quote because it is part of my psychological approach to life, and to introduce you to this book if you did not know it.
As this podcast enters its thirteenth year, this episode certainly stands out as a unique and gripping human tale. While it might seem like “suffering” has nothing to do with marketing, it has everything to do with marketing, a profession that runs on empathy and understanding.
Click here to enjoy Marketing Companion Episode 313
The illustration on this post is “At Eternity’s Gate” by Vincent van Gogh.
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