Paul T. P. Wong

As we embark on a New Year, I’d like to take you into confidence and share with you what has been on my mind. We are on the cusp of exciting new opportunities, but we need the support of all members and friends of INPM.

What We Have Accomplished

INPM was officially incorporated as a non-profit learned society in 1998. The mission at that time was to advance Victor Frankl’s vision of healing and well-being through meaning. But we have moved beyond logotherapy to incorporate all new developments in existential psychology, positive psychology, especially meaning research and meaning-oriented applications.

We have launched biennial International Meaning Conferences, published two websites (www.meaning.ca and www.existentialpsychology.org) and have also published the Positive Living Newsletter and the International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy.

We have established a reputation of excellence for meaning conferences. Our official website www.meaning.ca ranks among the top ten in many keyword searches such as “meaning”, “personal meaning” and “meaningful living”. Our newsletters have touched many lives, based on the responses we have received from around the globe. We have published three volumes of original journal articles as well as Conference Proceedings.

Very few organizations have done more in advancing the study and applications of the vital role of meaning than INPM – from the workplace to everyday living, from coping with terminal illnesses to finding hope and happiness.

New Initiatives

We are in the process of revamping www.meaning.ca and www.existentialpsychology.org; they need not only a facelift, but also a redesign in order to be more interactive and dynamic. Those interested in being part of the website committee, please write me and suggest ideas for improvement.

The biggest initiative is to launch the Meaningful Living Project. To appreciate the potential impact of the project, please visit www.meaning.ca for an introduction to the plan. We have purchased a new domain www.INPM.org as the platform to promote this project. This website is under construction. Again, I need all members and friends to get involved by sharing this project widely.

I am also proposing to rename our journal from the International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy to the International Journal of Personal Meaning. This change is intended to broaden the appeal of the journal to all individuals interested in research and applications of meaning regardless of their theoretical perspectives and disciplines. Please let me know whether you approve of this change.

Regarding our meaning conferences, we also need to do some creative thinking in order to involve more people especially university students. Any proposals from you will be appreciated. Personally, I propose that we no longer focus on a single issue for each conference. Instead, we will welcome submissions or papers related to all aspects of meaning research and applications.

Financial Matters

Have you wondered how did manage to do all the above? Where did all the money come from?

The INPM financial statement for the last fiscal year indicate that membership dues covered only a small segment of the actual costs. You may find the financial statement, and proposed budget by clicking on these links: INPM Financial Statement, INPM Proposed Budget.

The proposed budget also reveals that we will again incur a sizable deficit unless we significantly increase our revenues though membership dues, publications, and donations.

At present, we have only 298 members in good standing. We would have well over one thousand members had we done a better job in retaining most of our members.

In short, we cannot carry on much longer, without making some major changes to increase both membership and revenue.

Here are my proposals:

1. Recruit new members through personal and professional networks.

2. Publish books and manuals related to meaning-centered therapy and management.

3. Explore funding opportunities through foundations, corporations, and individuals who believe in the mission of INPM.
   

Any proposals or help from members in fundraising will be greatly appreciated. I will be sending all members a brief survey through SurveyMonkey to solicit their feedback regarding the proposed budget and other initiatives outlined here.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that the value of being a member of INPM is not what you can get but what you can give to enhance the well-being of humanity through the work of INPM.

Warm Regards,

Paul T. P. Wong
President