Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning Revised and Updated. New York: Washington Square Press.

I have recently read Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, as several people had recommended it to me. I found his text had great resonance with my experiences as a child in care, in the sense that, rather than being defined by a potentially harmful experience, I have found meaning and purpose for my life to go on and help others. In my Living Theory doctoral research Frankl has helped me to understand that it is my search for meaning that has led me to live a values-based life. It was not enough for me to just try to come through my childhood with as little damage as I could, I wanted my experiences of coming through the care system to make me the person I am as an adult; not as the third-person research on children in care predicts my life would be. There are many statistics that predict I would fail at school, I would be in prison, a drug addict or prostitute. My living-theory research provides an example of how children can come out of the care system with a passion to help others thrive despite suffering in their lives.