HAPPINESS In EXTREMIS

Who has not heard of The Diary of Anne Frank?

When Anne wrote it while hiding with her family in a cramped attic to escape Nazi capture, she thought that “later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.” And yet, her “musings” have been read and treasured for decades by people of all ages, genders, walks of life and circumstances.

Anne understood the secret of the oneness of mankind. “We all live with the objective of being happy. Our lives are all different and yet the same.”

She also discovered secrets for finding happiness in the midst of the most horrific circumstances. One of these secrets is the realization that “Everyone has inside him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

Anne was determined “not to have lived in vain like most people, but to be useful, or bring enjoyment, to all people – even those I’ve never met.”

Despite her eventual capture and early death, Anne found “the piece of good news” inside her, shared it, became useful to people she has never met, and accomplished her goal “not to have lived in vain.”

What a legacy Anne has left for those who want to find the “piece of good news” inside them and are determined not to “have lived in vain.”