Man's Search For Meaning By Viktor Frankl

On August 26, 1910 Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Macedonia with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. Not much is known about her early life but when she was only 8 years old, Agnes father suddenly died and she grew much closer with her mother. Agnes mother was a compassionate woman who greatly cared for others and had an open invitation for people of the city to eat in her home. When Agnes asked why people were eating with them, her mother responded, “Some of them are our relations, but all of them are our people.” The attitude of Agnes mother and their care towards others as Agnes grew up is likely what inspired her on her future endeavors. At age twelve Agnes was convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life and at eighteen years old set off to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin and became a nun. It was there that she took the name Sister Mary Teresa. Shortly after, she was

In “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, Frankl says that life is a quest for meaning. The three possible sources of meaning come from purposeful work, love, and courage in the face of difficulty. Mother Teresa displayed these three sources of meaning with excellence throughout her life. She showed purposeful work in her efforts to aid the poor and sick in India and eventually the world. Mother Teresa lived her life with love for all those that came to her looking for help as she turned no one away. Lastly, she demonstrated courage in the face of difficulty. Frankl explains that suffering itself is meaningless but we give suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it. Mother Teresa was willing to take chances. She wanted to help those in need and she gave up a lot in order to do so. She left her home and family behind in order to provide for others. She also was courageous in helping people with leprosy and other infectious diseases which might have put herself at