Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work

I had the fortunate experience of meeting Mr. Alex Pattakos on a return business trip lately. We struck up a conversation on a very full plane. I have to admit that I was exhausted from a one day out and in trip to the east coast from the midwest. He mentioned his book and his line of expertise. It would have been very easy for me to be a 'Prisoner of my own thoughts' and just try to sleep, but you see, I have been going through some very interesting decision points in my life and lo and behold I happen next to an expert.

I offered to read his book after he was kind enough to listen to my work/family/life decision matrix and offer advice.

I had mentioned that I just happened to be listening to Stephen Coveys' audiobook, 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and sure enough, Mr. Covey writes the foreward to the book. Wow!

As I read the book, I am struck by the remarkable principles laid out that directly apply to my life and current situation. More importantly, the chapters end with 'Meaning Moments'. What a great transition for a pause and reflection on what was just read. We (Alex and I) even interact and share thoughts on what I read and the application via anecdotes or other scholarly work.

The first three chapters detail the why's and philosophical background to the principles. He quotes Victor Frankl and of course draws upon Mr. Frankl' work as the encouragement for the book in the first place(Hence the subtitle). I thoroughly enjoyed inspiring coverage on Mr. Frankl' concentration camp survival and life's work to follow. The Tom's of Maine story was inspirational as well. Sticking with personal values and seeing them through is pivotal.

Let me focus on 3 of Mr. Patakos 7 principles.

1. Exercise the freedom to choose your attitude. Another book I enjoy is Norman Vincent Peale's, 'The Power of Positive Thinking'. This principle by Mr. Patakos seizes upon this. We all have the freedom to choose our attitudes and our response to situations. In fact, there is a fine line between reaction and response and a chosen attitude of positiveness will yield great results. He points out that there are a number of negative things/situations/thoughts that we all encounter, but if we were to use the exercise of writing down 10 positive things from any situation, then it will change the way we look at it and ultimately our attitude going forward.

5. Look at yourself from a distance. Here he focuses on humor in all situations even if they appear to be the most dire or bleak. Self-detachment from our work or negative situation as Victor Frankl did in the concentration camp actually keeps us focused on our actions. This empowers us to move forward and not dwell upon our mistakes. He points out that we should willingly self-admit our mistakes to ourselves and co-workers. This makes us more human and less a 'Prisoner of Our Thoughts' with a shift in our focus of attention which of course is his 6th principle.

7. Extend beyond yourself. This was one of the best in that I really enjoyed the anecdotal story of the man and son in the mountains and the lesson that ECHO's are really Life's lessons that we need to listen to. What we think, feel, act, respond and react to often are the cause of external factors, but if we are not prisoners, then we can choose to realize the meaning of life's moments without working against ourselves thereby looking at ourselves from a distance with a shift in our focus of attention and extending beyond ourselves much like Victor Frankl had to do in the concentration camps.

I learned about Logotherapy and how to apply the principles to my current situations. I think I learned them not only for the present, but principles that I can share and use in the future.

I have taken the book with me to every meeting in the past week. I have given anecdotals on the book and the principles and at least 5 people have written down the details of title and author.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a book that will be well worn as I refer back to it often while I continue to reinforce the principles and also as I pull it off the coffee table and share it with others.

Danno

What a great time reading/living this book...and since. I found this book to be one that speaks to us all...and to me. I read the forward by Covey and was very excited about really getting into the book...then one thing or another of various consequences took hold of me and the book got buried. On a recent trip, I decided this was finally the time to get to it. Ironically, the situations which kept me from reading the book could have been so different, I discovered as I read it...oh how much I had wished I just made the time to read it when I first had the chance. I believe I would have had a much different experience in those trying situations.

While on the flight enjoying the book. I found my self, feeling as though I was face to face with Alex and Dr. Frankl. It so spoke to me not just in the sense of my work and the meaning to be found in work...but in all my life...and in all I do. I was so invigorated reading the material and absorbing it that I just had to read/share passage after passage to my girlfriend. Finally, she just said, "stop...don't read to me anymore...I have got to read that myself as soon as your done."

Alex gets so personal in the writings and teachings of Frankl. The reader can feel that Alex's transcendental experience with Frankl and for that matter his life, brings to life and clearly opens for me the ideas, concepts and words in such away as to invigorate my being. I believe Alex's passion, love, and "into-it-ness" of Frankl's teachings and ideas allowed him to write a book that no person could feel lost reading or unable to understand. While at the same time even the most sophisticated could read it and enjoy the hefty meatiness of Frankl.

He masters complex ideas in this book in a fun, lively, yet succinct way that speaks to the hearts, minds and souls of the employee, the boss, the owner, the mother, father, brother, neighbor, whomever might open this book and bathe their life's experiences in Frankl's ideas. Alex easily shows how to feel more at ease and happy by unleashing the meaning in one's life.

This is a book to be read cover-to-cover...in bites...or over and over.

If you ever have the good fortune to meet Alex, you will find him to be genuine, passionate and a person who is inspiring and enriching to those moments spent with him...when you read this book you will find his writing to be just as great and as meaningful and personal as if you were chatting face to face.

The excitement I feel has caused me to plan on giving out many copies this holiday season to my clients, friends and family. I am excited at the prospects that not only will I feel as though I have made a meaningful gesture to them, but that they too will gain a new perspective on life, in which I can share and enjoy their new found freedoms...which Alex and Frankl help open for us all to enjoy.

Builds on the previous versions adding Viktor Frankl's profound wisdom (from experience) and Alex and Elaine's book, The OPA! Way ( http://amzn.to/2k8nZMn ), on the meaning of life derived from the wisdom of the Ancient Greek sages now emulated brilliantly by 'simple' Greek villagers.

Prisoner's of Our Thoughts is a challenging, yet a tender read. Challenging in that Alex Pattakos ushers us in to openly examine our responsibility of assuring we are doing the life work that is ours do to while also offering no apologies for the inevitable adversities that we will encounter along the way. He surely knows that every adversity also carries the promise of blessings, and his book will help you find these blessings in your own life.

The book is tender in that we are invited to explore our hearts, the only home of real peace and happiness, and to recognize that we are all unique, with special gifts to bless this world. We are taught to avoid the trappings that can take us away from the real work that is uniquely ours to do, and to instead listen and then seek carefully our own way from those "hints form Heaven" that come our way.

Jolted to learn that there was actually a long-awaited book out there that applies Viktor Frankl's work to the business world, I was eager to pour through the pages to explore the relevance and lessons. Soon after, I was fortunate enough to meet Alex Pattakos, and delve deeper in to Frankl's lessons with him one on one. As for Alex Pattakos, the person I found was an unrushed and genuine person whose passion is to help people, and an eagerness to share and teach his mentor's (Frankl) lifework to help all he can reach their human potential through discovering the capacity of love and purpose. His work is significantly useful in my line of work, and the challenges that our organization is faced with every day.

I fully recommend reading this great work, and applying its wisdom. Please don't wait to open your "lock box" of talents and tasks that life has set aside for you, seek what is yours on behalf of all mankind. Thank you, Alex Pattakos, for completing this task that life has sent your way, and for the completeness of the gift you have provided.

Bob Thompson

Lieutenant Colonel

U.S. Army

Finding meaning at work is more challenging than ever because of the rapid changes in the way companies are being managed from top to bottom. These changes are characterized by: a greater emphasis on shareholder value, moving jobs to lower wage countries, increasing productivity by substituting technology for human labor, significantly reducing company paid benefits, de-emphasizing lifetime employment, selecting younger people for management positions, etc. Meaning at work under even the current stressful circumstances can be found in the wisdom of philosophers, psychologists and management consultants across a variety of cultures. Unfortunately most of us have been unable, for various reasons, to apply this wisdom to our fast paced material treadmill existence within its expanding global horizon. "Prisoners of our Thoughts" provides a timely and unique reminder of how to find meaning at work by utilizing the insights of Viktor Frankl and others. The power of Alex Pattakos' retelling of the collective wisdom of finding meaning at work lies in his very apparent empathy and concern for the welfare of his fellow human being and his zest for life. His use of examples from real workers' lives energizes the wisdom he shares. What I found most remarkable was how easily I could connect the wisdom of "Prisoners of our Thoughts" to my own experiences as well as those of others (family, friends, neighbors and business/service employees) whom I meet on a daily basis. I have recommended this book on numerous occasions and do so now most enthusiastically as I work on breaking out of my own "prison of thoughts".

Review of Prisoners of our Thoughts, by Alex N. Pattakos

The work of Pattakos in interpreting and applying the principles of Logotherapy of Victor Frankel to everyday life is a fine piece of praxis. He has made logotherapy available to every person who seeks to not only find purpose in life, but value in it as well.

As a researcher/teacher in public management, the aim of my profession, as well as in life, is to somehow look for and help to add public value. The job of the public manager is to seek and add value to public undertakings, whether they be policies or programs. In the same way, Pattakos' book looks at the personal value dimension, demonstrating how seeking meaning can lead to unconditional value from the paths people take in life. It is this quest for value, based on such principles as exercising freedom of choice, detecting the meaning of life's moments, and extending beyond oneself that leads to life as a meaningful journey.

Every thinking person can thus benefit from the work of Pattakos. As we wind our way through life's challenges, understanding life's choices and outcomes is foremost. This work adds a great deal of value to this most important of life's searches.

Robert Agranoff, Professor

School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Indiana University-Bloomington

Government and Public Administration Program

Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset

Madrid, Spain

Several months ago I had to fly to New Mexico where I was to attend a Project Directors meeting for a grant held by the Tribal college where I teach. I was very fortunate to have a seat beside the author Alex Pattakos.

Now, it is important to explain my frame of mind at this time. As a full time professor, directing two grants,and completing my disseration, I was feeling very overwhelmed. I was dreading my meeting and basically needing wise words to motivate my next steps. In the short time we visited I was motivated to read Viktor Frankl's book again and read "Prisoners of Our Thoughts". Both of these books caused me to reflect upon all the aspects of my life.

If you ever have a chance to meet Alex Pattakos you will first feel his energy, followed by his genuine concern for others. As a student of Viktor Frankl he shares the same philosophy of life and truly "walks the talk" as expressed in "Prisoners of Our Thougths". I have read both books and am re-energized to focus on the work I do both personally, professionally and academically.

I have included both books on a reading list for students enrolled in a course I teach called EED 447 "Human Relations". I highly recommend these books to all, the content provides inspiration and hope.

In Prisoners of Our Thoughts Alex Pattakos has taken Viktor Frankl's logotherapy into the 21st century. With this book Pattakos has distilled meaning centered therapy into its essentials and created a practical, therapeutic approach available to the layman struggling with today's challenging work environment.

Meaning centered therapy holds that human beings can transcend suffering and find fulfillment only when they discover the meaning or meanings that are of paramount importance to them. Because such meanings can only be discovered, not created, one needs a roadmap to conduct the search. Well, now we have one.

Three of the great things about this book: 1) logotherapy has been pared down to 7 manageable principles 2) the essential meaning search technique is described (a form of brainstorming) and 3) a comprehensive "learning from experience" knowledge transfer is provided with many, many examples and anecdotes. Practice exercises for each principle appear at the end of each chapter.

Prisoners of Our Thoughts is the kind of book you will return to time and time again. If you follow its advice and practice diligently, you too can transcend your troubles and achieve a peace of mind rarely found in today's world of work.

and Prisoner of this book. Alex Pattakos has written a book that addresses the most fundamental of human issues: how find meaning in life regardless of one's station or circumstances. The themes in this book gnaw a the fringes of my consciousness, shaking the foundation of the "Prison of my "Thoughts", but in the form of my hopes, goals and dreams. Those in the past, nearly forgotten and under celebrated. Those in the present consuming me entirely, and those of the future creating energy, fear and anxiety.

I am a physician and the medical profession is is a state of cataclysmic change created by internal and external forces. The world has been turned upside down by terrorists who hate us just for who we are. Raising families is more challenging than ever before. Media bombards us with horrific news. Life outside work often seems shallow, shut up in our suburban houses linked to work by a commute. Why shouldn't I be unhappy? You call this meaning? Is life really supposed to have meaning or is it really mostly drudgery, trouble and frustration with a few high points till the day we die?

Alex's book provides a common sense model to resolve the existential anxiety created by the gap between our thoughts and reality, and to tremendously enrich our lives. However, reading Alex's book, you will discover that the only obstacle to finding meaning your life is you and that this is not a task for the lazy. Read Prisoners of Our thoughts and be prepared to look in the mirror and see the person responsible for your dissatisfaction and unhappiness! Be prepared for serious introspection as you read and re-read Prisoners of Our Thoughts. Then try to put the book away.

"Prisoners of our Thoughts" is based on common sense, but common sense of an uncommon sort. Rather than meeting life with a monolithic sense of entitlement, Dr. Pattakos proposes an attitude of service. Find meaning for yourself in your life and take responsibility for choosing your attitudes. Dr. Pattakos' role model, Viktor Frankl, represents the most extreme and heroic example of choosing your attitude, as he did in the concentration camps of World War II. To paraphrase him, everything can be taken from you, except your ability to choose your attitude toward the situation you may find yourself in.

Opt to find your own values and meaning, and follow the paths that lead toward them, rather than toward mere gratification of the senses.

Finding examples in everything from popular culture to cultural history,

Dr. Pattakos chooses to apply Dr. Frankl's thoughts to workplace situations, which surely offer much room for finding one's own views, rather than settling for complaining of boredom or resenting the boss.

All those who have been enlightened by Viktor Frankl's great book, Man's Search for Meaning, will be profoundly grateful to Alex Pattakos for bringing Frankl's principles alive again in our own search for meaning in our everyday personal and working lives.

Pattakos calls meaning the megatrend of the 21st century and I hope he's right. Most people are disgusted with corporate greed, golden parachutes and assorted scandals on Wall Street and other financial markets around the world. Most people are tired of our own everyday race through work and looking for something to enrich our daily jobs.

In Prisoner's of Our Thoughts, Pattakos gives us both reminders and important new ideas, as well as exercises with which to discover and apply meaning to our work. Ideas don't merely float by on the page. He encourages us as readers to work interactively with his basic principles to cement them in truly practical ways in our lives.

Pattakos also give us rich examples of people who work with meaning in all kinds of jobs. There's Vita, the mail carrier, who whistles as she delivers the mail, even in bad weather, because she sees her job as connecting people and building a community. There's Tom, the CEO who invites his employees to share in a meaning-based bottom line, encouraging volunteerism and giving 10% of his profits to local and global concerns. And there is Nelson Mandela. For many of us Mandela epitomizes a life's work filled with meaning. Pattakos brings us a step further in Mandela's experience to the moment he is released. For the briefest moment he feels anger over having lost twenty-seven years of his life to prison, then realizing that this was not the time to become imprisoned again in his mind.

"It almost seems as though meaning holds forgiveness at its core," Pattakos tells us, "when we forgive ourselves and others, we are no longer prisoners of our thoughts."

In my own work as a documentary filmmaker, I have tried to bring a breath and depth of meaning to the content and the making of my films. In The Cola Conquest, I interviewed a man who was part of a group of shareholders concerned with the social responsibility of their companies - an uncommon concept back in the late 90's. They pressured Coca Cola to intervene in the murder of worker who wanted to unionize the Coca Cola bottling plant in Guatemala. After 12 deaths, the shareholders spoke up, Coke spoke up in turn, the murders finally stopped.

More recently, in Black Coffee, I explored the search for meaning through the historical and contemporary story of coffee. The three-hour series ends with the search for the "perfect cup" - the cup we enjoy best as consumers because it tastes great, it's great for the farmer who grows it, and for the environment in which it grows.

But my most meaningful film I will ever make is Dark Lullabies, about the reverberations of the Holocaust on the children of survivors and the next generations of Germans. It was this film that brought me to Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the concentration camps like my parents, who also lived and worked with meaning and humanity throughout their imprisonment and throughout their lives.

I am grateful to Pattakos for giving new meaning and application to Frankl's work, and have already begun the fulfilling task of enriching my own work with Pattakos' suggestions and ideas.

"We are free to choose our responses to everything that happens in our lives, including those things that happen through our work," writes author Alex Pattakos. His anecdotes, and exercises demonstrate how to find meaning in our personal lives as well as in the workplace where we spend so much of our time indulging in the negative habit of chronic complaining. "Prisoners of our Thoughts" offers insight into taking control of our lives, breaking destructive habits, and creating opportunities for contentment and success. Remember Norman Vincent Peale's "POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING?". Alex Patakos takes that concept to the next level, gives indepth practical tools, and expands on our own ability to change the quality of our lives. It's really is in our hands. We don't have to dwell in the perpetual, "boo- hoo poor me, victim consciousness." Well written and insightful

Reading Prisoners of Our Thoughts offers the reader the opportunity to illuminate and explore the meaning of 'work' and 'career'as if in a coaching session with Viktor Frankl and Alex Pattakos serving as facilitators. Throughout the book my conscience was gently and insistently reminded that my 'suffering' belongs to me, a product of my choices. The book's power comes from the transformational message of the author Pattakos and his mentor, Viktor Frankl: Even in seemingly inconsequential work-a-day difficulties lie meaning cues that can illuminate the authentic direction of our lives & career path. Ultimately, Prisoners of Our Thoughts brought me face to face with my own inner 'concentration camp' allowing me to frame and begin to explore the questions, what is the sacred path of my career,how am I creating my own 'prison'. The book's exercises provide excellent tools to determine a strategy to plan my 'escape'to a more meaningful career. This is an excellent book at both the personal and professional levels.

J.P. George

Pattakos brings the principles of Viktor Frankl into the world of work with this concise and accessible volume, but this is not a book about work - it's really about life in toto. By bringing Frankl into the working arena, Pattakos forces us to examine his principles in the light under which most of us spend most of our waking hours. It's an effective approach, and the accessible style, coupled with a gentle pace added to my enjoyment.

This author avoids an overly prescriptive approach, allowing the reader to reach his own conclusions. For me, that was a critical point - the book came along at a time when I found myself at a professional crossroads, and I found it prepared me to confront some important decisions and find my own path.

Pattakos' central metaphor for life's path is the labyrinth, and he is careful to distinguish this from a maze. This book feels very much like a pleasant walk through a labyrinth - a path of meaning, not a puzzle.

Some people can study and help us to understand the complexities of life in all of its variations, but it takes a special wisdom to take that complexity and to make it, excuse the expression, meaningful. It is the elegance of expression and practical examples, based upon depth of thought, that makes Dr. Pattako's book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, so powerful. It helped me to understand powerful concepts that make a difference in my life. It was fascinating to see the answers to problems that have challenged me for years, written in seven, easy to understand, principles.

I have been behind the prison bars - a prisoner of my thoughts - as we all have, and have to continuously apply the lessons Dr. Pattakos describes to keep them open. With examples, exercises and seven core principles that can change your life if you apply them, this is a book that everyone should read and read again whenever life seems to imprison our thinking and to limit our full potential.

Dr. Pattakos has written a "must read" for anyone that has felt unfulfilled in his or her personal or professional life.

Like Evagrius Ponticus, an influential Egyptian monk that died in 399, Dr. Pattkos emphasizes honest self-knowledge. Detailing how to find meaning in our personal and professional life through his seven Core Principles.

Evagrius points out that we see things from the perspective of our own fears and fantasies rather than seeing things truly. Evagrius' solution is to "be real" accept the reality that there is no escape from human conditions. Viktor Frankel suggests we view life as meaningful whatever the situations. Dr. Pattkos explores this concept and offers seven principles to help readers find meaning in his or her daily life.

I found every page offers a point for meditation or reflection. I use this book as a means for daily affirmation in order to center myself on the purpose of life.

Every once in awhile - once every life time - a person comes along who can fundementatally change your world. That man was Viktor Frankl - but I would not have known this without the brilliant book on Frankl's life by Dr. Alex Pattakos.

I am a voracious reader,and not much makes me stop and turn the pages slowly, get out the highlighter or take notes. This book not only did all that - I'm now re-reading it - a first for me.

Bottom line-there's a lot of new age, self improvement material out there - this book defies that category because it's grounded in reality , can be practically applied by anyone and Frankl walked the proverbial talk.

If you want to improve any aspect of your life - invest a few hours and read this book -it could change your life - what better way to start a new year than with a new and powerful attitude? This is a book that must be read - we should all be grateful that Dr. Pattkos has brought this gift to us!

Sandy French

i first met Alex Pattakos six months ago at a book signing in Santa Fe. i went specifically to meet him and to invite him to join some volunteers who go into the prison to bring human dignity and provide a service that contributes to their betterment as well as exemplifies that we are all "One Heart". ([...])

The seed was planted and six months later bloomed when Alex joind the group for an insightful evening of working the principles that he lays out in "Prisoners of Our Thoughts." One can imagine both the literal and figurative meaning of "prisoners" in such a setting. Sitting around tables, eight volunteers and fifteen prisoners in bright orange jumpsuits, did writing excercises facilitated by Mr. Pattakos to communally break through some of our thoughts that have held us prisoners. In a setting surrounded by barbed wire we all were free.

His book is full of wonderful examples of each principle at work.

Buy the book. Open it to any page. Sit down with a pad and pen and spend some time applying the principles to your own life. See what breaks through.

Alex Pattakos has accomplished the impossible! With 'Prisoners of Our Thoughts', Pattakos has authored the first user-friendly translation of Viktor Frankl's work that can be applied to the workplace, everyday life, and personal development. Anyone who has read Frankl's, Man's Quest for

Meaning, and other works knows that, while profound -- even heroic, Frankl's work is difficult to translate, understand and apply. Pattakos has reached deeply inside himself, and Frankl's works and mind to accomplish this feat. He is a long time student of Frankl's works -- and held in depth discussions with Viktor Frankl in his home. In other words -- he actually knew Frankl.

This is the kind of book that you will want to write "highlight everything" on the flyleaf behind the cover. You will also want to carry 'Prisoners of Our Thoughts' in your briefcase and keep at your bedside.

Only passingly familiar with Viktor Frankl's work, I picked this one up somewhat reluctantly after a friend strongly suggested I try it, and surprised myself by loving it. It's hard to imagine reading Pattakos' inspiring anecdotes and provocative discussion (the "Eulogy Exercise" in chapter 6 alone is worth the price of admission) without taking a long, thoughtful look at your own life and maybe even coming away a bit transformed. Just one quibble: The negative title--which put me off at first--is deceptive. The real subject here is freedom!

Alex Pattakos has done us a great service in writing "Prisoners of Our Thoughts," by bringing Dr. Victor Frankl's understanding to the modern workplace and teaching us the very techniques to apply Frankl's work everyday.

I found the connection to one's choice of attitude and connections to person values to be of immediate use in my life and in my quest for right livlihood. Alex's comment about seeing my work as a mission in one of the books "Meaning Questions," is a great example about how the author uses brief descriptions of "Meaning Moments," and exercises called "Meaning Questions," to involve the reader in the application fo the books teaching.

This is a well thought out book with practical benefits that I would recommend highly to all.

Michael Skaggs, Cedar Crest, New Mexico

Skip this rah-rah self help book and go straight to Frankl. This is Frankl lite, and is an attempt to cash in on the self help movement. I thought it was particularly galling for the author to compare his "struggle" on what career to enter and to stand up to his daddy to Frankl losing his entire family, and spending years in Nazi death camps. Even more ludicrous is comparing his uncle, who was one of the Greek junta depicted in the Costa Gavras film "Z" to Frankl; maybe to one of the higher level SS officers would make sense.

Read Victor Frankl, or Sogyal Rinpoche or Thich Hanh or the Dalai Lama, or if they're too heavy, read Dr Phil, but save your money on this book!

The principles carried through the pages of this book consistently reminded me that life is a journey. Each day brings new experiences, challenges and opportunities. Our interactions with those we encounter each day provide avenues to seek meaning in the everyday, sometimes mundane activities for which we so often take for granted.

Events in the world can have an immediate devastating effect on us. How might we look to these events and act individually and collectively to be an inspiration to others?

I was refreshed and motivated by Alex's review and application of Victor Frankl's principles. The book is a good resource for those seeking to understand their own journey in life and for those looking to share the excitement of a good book that engages the reader to be a better person!

Finding peace or happiness in every situation, no matter how dreadful the circumstances. Some are lucky enough to do it naturally, others need a book like "Prisoners of Our Thoughts" to guide them. "Prisoners" offers readers the principles, tools and examples that teach us to stop being carried away by our negative reactions to difficult situations, to step back, find perspective and creatively realize the good that can come from not getting what we think we want in the moment. Frankl's life and work epitomize the triumph of the human spirit in transforming suffering into peace and turning the sourest lemons into the sweetest lemonade. Pattakos has paid homage to this great man by interpreting and reframing his work for new generations.

Alex Pattakos is a skilled, sensitive writer who captures the essence of Dr. Frankl's thought on each and every page. The seven Core Principles are simple, easy to understand, and yet they cut right to the essence of realizing personal potential. I found the quote..."When we miss the meaning in our work life, we miss the life in our work"..to be especially helpful when working with people trying to overcome their addictive practices. Focusing on the importance of their work has been a big fisrt step!

I just finished Prisoners of Our Thoughts and enjoyed reading about Alex's Seven Core Principals based on Dr. Frankl's work. Alex gives the reader an enlightened approach to life. "We discover that life doesn't happen to us. We happen to life; and we make it meaningful." By shifting your attitude about your situation you can see it from a different perspective. Alex's principals allow us to gain positive influences for both our minds and bodies.

I read Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" perhaps 30 years ago, when living in Pakistan. After moving to Canada five years ago, I have acquired many of Frankl's other books. The more I read his work, the more surprised I am that Frankl has not become required reading in all programs of psychology.

So I was delighted to know that Dr. Pattakos is not only a student of Frankl, but also a great admirer, who is working to have Frankl's work more widely understood.

As Alex Pattakos explains in his book, while Freud focused on the human "will to pleasure", and Adler on the "will to power", Frankl focuses on the drive that perhaps only humans among living beings can have - the "will to meaning".

Dr. Pattakos explains the goal of his book is to bring the principles of Frankl's thoughts to the domain of work. I cannot agree with him more. Here is a quotation of Frankl that often travels the pathways of my mind: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way"

For those who can learn by practicing exercises from books, "Prisoners of Our Thoughts" should be of great value. I find that difficult, and prefer to read Frankl directly. The three stars for this book may be a comparative judgment on my part, as I would give 5 stars to Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning".

I understand that, based on his book, Dr. Pattakos has run workshops for Indonesian survivors of the tsunami that devastated Asia in late 2004. What a wonderful way to utilize the coping skills developed by Dr. Frankl to find new meaning when tragedies affect us today!

"Dr. Meaning" has it right here. With relevant examples and straightforward language, Dr. Pattakos connects our desires to search for meaning in all we do with a plan to make it happen. This is not a book of simple platitudes and 'feel good' sayings - this is a book rich in the application of Viktor Frankl's principles, applied to how we approach our work lives.

I will be using these principles for my own self-awareness and with my clients. Thank you for taking the time to write "the book that needed to be written"!

Prisoners of our thoughts of the writer Alex Pattakos is indeed an excellent book that is a must read for everybody who wants a roadmap for more meaning in live. It is often during a downward spiral in our moods and when things seem to move splendid that we either depreciate or appreciate the value of the meaning of our lives. Alex inspired by Frankl's teaches us that ultimately, it is we outselves who carry ownership of our thoughts. And exactly this control over our thoughts, is what ultimately sets the degree of satisfying meaning, we experience in our lives, be it in the workplace or whatever endeavor we plan to pursue.

Ralph Koch

Curacao, Neth. Antilles

What a pleasure to embrace life's journey with the principles of Viktor Frankl in mind! Dr. Pattakos' writing style is clear, logical and engaging. Reading this book will help me to confidently make decisions and choose my attitude towards any circumstances faced in both my professional and private life. This freedom provides me with my own tools for dealing with stressful situations and shaping my own future. I highly recommend this book for all ages and situations. It is motivating, memorable and generates thoughtful discussion. Thanks to Dr. Pattakos for capturing the essence of Victor Frankl and translating these principles to our lives in the 21st century.

Isn't is ironic?? We live in a world propelled by change, and yet often find it challenging to immerse oursleves in the very process of change. Pattakos recognizes engaging change as a fundamentally human experience and employs Viktor Frankl's work to weave together human growth and meaning in ways that allow us to focus on what's truly important. Indeed, Pattakos clearly sends the message that it is only through the act of engaging change, especially at those most difficult moments, that we truly find vitality and meaninful contribution in our work and life. Through embracing potential and saying "yes", Pattakos helps carry foward the message of a hero, Dr. Frankl.

I was the person described in every chapter in this wonderfully insightful and reflective book. Reading it was like a mini-retreat and, of course, being so busy running a business, it took me too long to realize what a priority it was to just sit still and absorb the words of Dr. Pattakos. When I did I found profound meaning in the message. I intend to read this again and again, especially during those times when my life seems to control me, especially in ways that are troubling to my human spirit. Dr. Pattakos deserves high praise for this wonderfully modern interpretation of Viktor Frankl's hard earned principles. I can't recommend it enough.

Alex gives a very easy follow perspective on living a meaningful & fulfilling life by being engaged in the workplace & in your life. Although many authors have touched certain aspects of this subject before, Alex did a wonderful job in presenting a comprehensive viewpoint through a real life story & then offering practical suggestions that anybody could use. Highly recommend this book. No matter what stage in life you are in, you will be inspired!

Alex Pattakos exhibits the same passion in his writing as he does in person. Especially in this books principles which give tribute to Frankl's confirmations of the inherent power of individual choice in navigating lifes labyrinths. I recommend taking a few days for reflection between each chapter, as I did, versus a straight through read. I wasn't overly surprised to find each principle relevant in my current business and personal activities. The book contains a passage to the affect that courage isn't lack of fear but knowing that there is something more important. Not being a prisoner of our thoughts could be considered courageous.

All too often, books on finding meaning in life and at work are made complicated by an author's belief that the more complicated the presentation, the more meaningful the author's underlying message must be. Dr. Pattakos avoids that common mistake. "Prisoners of Our Thoughts" is written in a clear and accessible style. As a result, Viktor Frankl's core principles come alive for anyone seeking the deeper meaning of their own life and work. I highly recommend this well written book.

In "Prisoners of Our Thoughts," Alex Pattakos draws upon the entire body of Victor Frankl's work and outlines seven core principles which can be applied to work situations or everyday life. Each chapter features a "Meaning Moment," which calls upon the reader to reflect on a situation from his/her past and to consider how he/she might have approached that situation differently, and "For Further Reflection," in which Pattakos asks the reader to apply lessons from the chapter to a real-life scenario. Use "Prisoners of Our Thoughts" as a textbook, order it for all your employees or buy a copy for yourself.

Lively, thought-provoking, sometimes humorous, and always intensely human, Alex Pattakos has set out a veritable smorgasbord of illustrative stories and practical approaches to applying Viktor Frankl's principles to our everyday world of work.

This book is about reclaiming our awareness of choice. It's about forging a commitment to find (or create) meaning in our work. Ultimately it's about making the connection between our work life and our lifework.

This is a book that can make a real difference in the quality of your work life. I highly recommend it!

It's been said that common sense isn't really all that common. It is of great value when somebody can put what ought to be common-sensical, into terms that are readily understandable. That these same concepts are rendered applicable in everyday life as well as in the workplace is even more laudable.

Prisoners of Our Thoughts belongs in every business person's toolbox. It offers a diversity of approaches to everyday situations, stressful or not, that can aid anyone to adopt a more positive attitude.

Looking forward to devouring the good Dr.'s next book!

Alex Pattakos has taken Frankl's work and more complex psychological theory and distilled it into 7 principles that anyone can understand and apply.

In today's world where so many leaders write books about success at all costs it is refreshing to see a book that helps us apply a personal compass to our every day work life. The work environment is simply another community and we desperately need to learn how to successfully nurture these relationships.

Thanks to Alex for inspiring me! I think this book is a wonderful gift - I will give it to everyone on my team at work!

Lively, thought-provoking, sometimes humorous, and always intensely human, Alex Pattakos has set out a veritable smorgasbord of illustrative stories and practical approaches to applying Viktor Frankl's principles to our everyday world of work.

This book is about reclaiming our awareness of choice. It's about forging a commitment to find (or create) meaning in our work. Ultimately it's about making the connection between our work life and our lifework.

This is a book that can make a real difference in the quality of your work life. I highly recommend it!

It's been said that common sense isn't really all that common. It is of great value when somebody can put what ought to be common-sensical, into terms that are readily understandable. That these same concepts are rendered applicable in everyday life as well as in the workplace is even more laudable.

Prisoners of Our Thoughts belongs in every business person's toolbox. It offers a diversity of approaches to everyday situations, stressful or not, that can aid anyone to adopt a more positive attitude.

Looking forward to devouring the good Dr.'s next book!

Alex Pattakos has taken Frankl's work and more complex psychological theory and distilled it into 7 principles that anyone can understand and apply.

In today's world where so many leaders write books about success at all costs it is refreshing to see a book that helps us apply a personal compass to our every day work life. The work environment is simply another community and we desperately need to learn how to successfully nurture these relationships.

Thanks to Alex for inspiring me! I think this book is a wonderful gift - I will give it to everyone on my team at work!

Thank you, Dr. Pattakos, for writing this book which has influenced me greatly. Although I had read Man's Search for Meaning years ago, it wasn't until I read Prisoners of Our Thoughts that I truly understood the significance of Dr. Frankl's work. Thank you for bringing Frankl back into my life and in such a contemporary and practical way. I now find myself remembering and practicing the book's principles each day. Whether readers are familiar with Viktor Frankl or not, this a must read! I recommend it highly. And thank you so much for keeping Dr. Frankl's legacy alive!

I bought this book because I was impressed by the books of Viktor Frankl and I thought: if this book contains half the wisdom of the Frankl books then it is worth its price. I was disappointed.

I am convinced that the author had the best intentions, but his book simply depends too much on Frankl's work: first the author takes some quotes from Frankl's book, then proceeds to explain this using a contemporary 'business situation' (just a story) and adds some of his own thoughts. If you have read Frankl's book you constantly realise you already know what you are reading. The author's own thoughts make up perhaps 10% of the book. For any book I think the reason to buy it should be that the author makes an original contribution to the subject, and not because the author is capable of explaining other people's ideas who have already done so extensively.

Bottom line: if you are unfamiliar with the work of Frankl, then this book contains a lot of valuable insight. But in that case I would recommend reading Frankl's books first. And if you have already read Frankl's books, then this book has little added value.

Very important principles... can potentially save a person lifetime's worth of search for fullfillment.

Drawbacks are:
- mediocre writing... writes as if he's giving a lengthy fireside chat. This book can be significantly shorter.

- low on life examples

- so much reference & adoration for Frankl that I wonder if I should just skip this book and go to Frankl directly.

We so need to rediscover personal meaning in our worklife, as well as our personal lives! What a great place to glean authentic principles that WORK - Viktor Frankl's heroic triumph of finding meaning after surviving a concentration camp. Pattakos presents Frankl's principles for meaning-making in a very readable and, more importantly, DO-able format! Bored with your life? Pick up this book! It will not fail to inspire!

Rebecca Skeele, author of You Can Make It Heaven: How to Enrich Your Life with Abundance and Loving

[...]

At last, a comprehensive guide for leading not only a more meaningful life but one that is more fulfilling and that incorporates joy as well! Dr. Pattakos provides methods for letting go of nonproductive thinking habits that are not conducive to a healthy and fulfilling life. Through reflection and purposeful thinking, Dr. Pattakos shows us how we can bring about positive and powerful changes into our everyday lives. This book has become my new nightstand favorite! -- Pam Grieco, Elementary School Teacher

"Prisoners of Our Thoughts' made an impact on me because it provides a roadmap to take control and choose our reactions to ever-changing work environments. Pattakos's practical advice and exercises provides opportunites to practise choosing our reactions which can lead to developing more meaning in our lives. This book provides a foundation to build more resilience into our lives which is a critical skill as workplace change remains a constant. I found Pattakos's interpretation of Frankl's principles very relevant and a pathway to hope.

Although I am not connected to a workplace setting, reading "Prisoners of our Thoughts" in a home-based environment had a significant impact, and personal meaning to me. The constant need for self-motivation renewal, and the courage to walk your own path came into sharp focus as I contemplated Alex Pattakos's vivid imagery. The "extend beyond yourself" principle was a powerful reminder to me to not be satisfied with the status quo, and to proactively strive for personal excellence, whatever your circumstance. Thank you Alex.

This book helps make practical a very nebulous but valuable skill. Let me explain:

About 29 years ago, as a teenager, while roaming the Birminham Public Library, I picked up a worn copy of Victor Frankl's book about man's search for meaning. I vividly remember where I was standing, think I could almost go to the spot on the shelf where I found the book; I think the memory lives clearly because as I scanned through the book, I became haunted with the images that came from its pages and moved by the strength of which it testified. I sat down, read more, took the book home, and never forgot the lesson.

When I worked as a janitor in high school at a local gym, I tried to find meaning by framing my work as helping provide a wholesome environment for children. When I worked as a cook at Hardee's, I was helping keep families together by providing a convenient and affordable place to escape and relax. When I worked alone as a chemist on army contracts, I was helping preserve freedom. When I worked as an ER physician, the value of saving lives was plain but then the challenge was to find meaning in the suffering around me.

These examples (from my work life) show what I strove for; but the practical, every-day accomplishment of finding meaning in the pain, drudgery, and short-term injustice that swirls around me and everyone I know has not always been a task at which I've been successful. Sometimes, I left the gym nasty and tired and just angry at how inconsiderate people can be. Sometimes I left the ER angry and confused that innocent people came to me in pain and disease at no fault of their own: how do you hold responsible a child molested, a young mother killed by a drunk driver, the crying child with sickle cell disease, the gasping child with cystic fibrosis?

You don't hold them responsible. And as you wade through the pain of the ER working with nurses and technicians with their own problems, sometimes it feels as if the world is thick with pain and thin with meaning.

In looking for meaning in suffering, I've found some help in Boethius' book "Consolation of Philosophy," in William James' "Pragmatism," in Oswald Chambers' "The Christian Disciplines," in the scriptures of the Holy Bible and the Bagavad Gita as well as in Frankl's writings. This book by Dr. Pattakos belongs on the shelf with those books as a classic about how to find meaning instead of power or pleasure and then uncover joy in meaning.

I write this reverently with the awareness that I'm immature in these matters--I've looked into the face of a quadraplegic man, bed bound for over 20 years, and heard him talk eloquently about how his accident was good fortune because it brought him closer to GOD; I don't know if I could do that. I've had to tell the mother that her child didn't live and watched her accept the news with strength and peace. I've seen this and more and so know that some do find meaning in situations heavy with pain. This is the skill that this book teaches: the skill of finding peace and meaning and the resultant deep joy.

The model used by Dr. Pattakos is the working life: how to find meaning at work. Like swinging two bats before walking to the plate to swing one, Dr. Pattakos draws from Dr. Frankl's writings about severe pain and unbelievable injustice to develop a pattern for finding meaning in the often painful pathways at work. The exercises make practical the every-day application of finding meaning and so uncovering joy and effectiveness. Simple exercises that take only a few minutes help plant each chapter in the fiber of thought and peel back the dirty details to the core meaning of work. Practical, easy exercises to help develop a valuable skill of mind and soul.

--Charles Runels, MD

Author of "Anytime...for as Long as You Want: Strength, Genius, Libido, & Erection by Integrative Sex Transmutation"

I reflect on a daily basis. I am a high school teacher and part-time university faculty member. I now de-reflect as well. You will know what I mean after you read the book!

I have read dozens of books seeking to be a better person and thus a better educator. Dr. Pattakos' "Seven Principels" are now taped next to Don Miguel Ruiz's "Four Agreements" on my desk for easy reference and inspiration. I only ask that Dr. Pattakos create an innovative daily calender to accompany my taped lists!

With his book Dr Alex Pattakos shows us how meaning is a choice and how we can be our own best friends constantly by maximizing and expanding the ways we grant meaning to life. Each moment counts and Dr Pattakos shows us the way out of the invisible prisons of our own thoughts. Great and very consistent book. I totally recommend it to people looking for ways of becoming the very best possible versions of themselves. Look forward to Dr Pattakos' next books.

Wow! Viktor Frankl's core principles made simple, with real ways to apply them to our lives and work.

Pattakos provides us with the tools to unlock our creative and passionate selves. The author provides easy to follow exercises to help find real meaning in what we do. His ideas allow us to overcome the negative thoughts that imprison us.

I highly recommend this as a primer for meaningful change.

The messages in Prisoners of Our Thoughts picks up where other books and approaches leave off. It is all well and good to recite the Serenity Prayer and know what things we can change and what we can't. However, to focus on finding meaning in our lives....takes much of what I have focused on in other books and puts it in a new context. There are many things in my life that I have begun to rethink AFTER reading this book. Pick it up. You'll see what I mean.

I found Alex Pattakos' book interesting, informative, and most important, practical. He put Frankl's ideas and lessons into a format where I find myself going back to the book, using it more as a reference book than a "single read" book. Since we spend so much of our lives in the work arena, Pattakos' ideas and interpretaion of Frankl's concepts are a must to read and use. TO me this is a guide to satisfaction in the workplace for everyone.

Reading this book has changed my outlook and perspective in life. It has given me more meaning and purpose in life. It also made me realized that the seven principles are the driving forces very much within ourselves. I enjoyed the stories especially those of Viktor Frankl as they reinforced the learning of principles. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who want to have a more purposeful life.

Dr. Pattakos has written a truly engaging and easy to read book. Despite being easy to read, however, it is founded on serious academic research and a lifetime of experiences that Dr. Pattakos shares with the reader. For those who want to pause and reflect on the meaning of their lives, I highly recommend this book.

Not only is the book well written and easy to absorb, but it also includes practical exercises at the end of each chapter. These exercises have already enabled me to make important life-changing shifts in my career direction and work habits. I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about making a positive impact through his/her life.

The author paints a very deceptive portrait of his "beloved" uncle Mr. Stylianos Pattakos and even dares to compare him to Nelson Mandela (see beginning of chapter 4). Addressing an unsuspecting (at most) American audience he largely manages to get away with it.

Unfortunately for him, some of us still remember the greek military junta, the thousands of people that got killed and tortured, the thousands that were sent to exile, and the great tragedy of Cyprus for which the junta was largely responsible. Mr. Pattakos as Nelson Mandela? Better try Hitler. How ironic indeed that Mr. Alex Pattakos writes and capitalizes on a book inspired by Viktor Frankl a Nazi camp survivor...

Judge for yourself if you can trust the writings of a person who idolizes one of the cruelest dictators of recent history. You should be ashamed sir for what your uncle did to Greece and to the Greek people. Yet you are proud. I am disgusted. Also for the record, your uncle did not get out of prison in 1995 because "his role in history was reconsidered and because there was enough support for him as a person" but because of his grave health condition. You see, a democracy can have mercy even for the ultimate traitors.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Alex Pattakos abandoned Greece for the USA circa 1973-74 when democracy was restored, probably because he was feeling that the too much "love" that the repressed people of Greece felt for his "patriot" uncle could kill him...

Although the premise of the book is building on Frankl's philopshopy, it feels that without Frankl's philosophy there wouldn't be much left. Some of the exercises are useful and though provoking, but ultimately they are labels on processes we tend to do intuitively. I felt a little let down at the end of the book when significant conclusions were made based on the survey undertaken; it seemed a bit 'gap filling' to me and loss some of the sheen of its credibility.

Overall, the book is a re-affirmation of Frankl's philosophy and I would recommend that you go straight to Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning first before this one.