It’s All in Your Perspective

by Brianna Maxim

For as long as I can remember, my singular goal was ‘make it through college’.  As the first person in my family to go to college, I had a lot riding on that one goal. I had to graduate and make my parents proud. Then I had to get my Ph.D. I did graduate with my Bachelors, but because of certain circumstances, going right into a Ph.D program was not a feasible option for me. Moreover, my interests were changing. I suddenly found myself lost and confused. Where was I going now that I was out of school? Had I given up on my graduate school goal?

I was going through a turbulent time. I was filling out work applications and looking for internships that were in line with my interests. My searches often came up empty and I didn’t get call backs. It was very frustrating and my first thoughts were, ‘I am not good enough. I will never find a job.’ During this time, I picked up Dr. Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. The book centers on Dr. Frankl’s personal experiences during the Holocaust and the observations he made. He explains how some people were able to survive those atrocities by finding meaning in their suffering.

There were two important things I learned from the book. Firstly, we can choose how to react to our situations and these choices can change the outcomes of our lives. Secondly, given a ‘why’, a person can overcome the ‘how’. The ‘why’ doesn’t have to be some amazing goal. Even a small goal – such as having a nice dinner in the future with your family – can give someone a reason to push through. As long as we have a future aim, the present struggles become bearable.

Dr. Frankl’s book helped me see the importance of my outlook and I became more aware of my perceptions of the situation. As I continued to apply to different jobs, I put the theory into practice. When I realized I was starting to say negative things about myself, I stopped. I took a deep breath and centered myself. Then I would remind myself of what I have accomplished thus far in my life. I’d say things like, “I graduated from college with a high GPA. I have a lot of research experience. I’ve held high positions in my labs. I’ve presented at conferences.” Reminding myself of what I have accomplished and the obstacles I have overcome helped remind me that a rejection is not the end of the world. I might not be a good fit for one job or program, but there will always be new opportunities, some greater than the ones that passed me by before.

Because of my new perspective, I learned not to fear change. Change could be a new opportunity, a new experience, something exciting to help me with my ultimate goal. If a negative event occurred, I let myself have a moment to be sad, but then I reframed the situation to be a learning experience. Changing my reactions helped me keep a positive outlook and stopped me from becoming discouraged when I hit challenges. Everything became a learning opportunity to add to my arsenal. Though we cannot control events, we can control our reactions to them and propel ourselves forward in the face of adversity. I recommend Dr. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning to you. Maybe it can give you a new perspective, too.

Brianna Maxim graduated from UNLV with a B.A. in Psychology and has been in Dr. Barchard’s lab for 5 years. She continues to work with Dr. Barchard, and now Dr. Benning, to further her research knowledge. She recently applied to the Masters of Social Work program here at UNLV to pursue her advocacy for individuals who have been discriminated against because of mental health disorders and to raise awareness about the stigma associated with mental health.