Time flies when you're having fun. Time flows like a river. Maybe you've heard those sayings or something like them. Have you ever been so engaged in an activity that you lost all track of time with hours passing without notice? Maybe you have also experienced the opposite, where time seems to stand still. Our perception of time has a lot to do with our mindset and what is going on inside us, also known as our "internal condition."
This week's post will touch upon the concept of "flow" that Mihaly Csikszentmihaly writes about in his bestselling and TED Talk recommended book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Csikszentmihaly describes flow as a "state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter," producing an "optimal experience" and ultimately, happiness.
This sounds really great. So how do we get there? It starts with our mindset. Our internal condition and mindset are critical to achieving a flow state, and even to our survival. Perhaps the most extreme example of the importance and power of mindset can be found in the book Man's Search for Meaning. Here, Viktor Frankl recounts how remaining inwardly focused and maintaining an optimistic mindset helped him to survive the most horrific and unimaginable external conditions of a Nazi concentration camp. Instead of focusing on the abhorrent, inhumane external circumstances which were beyond his control, Frankl managed to control his consciousness and inner world. Frankl's inward reflective or intrinsic state ultimately helped to save his life.
There is so much we can learn from Frankl's experience, and from other survivors of extreme adversity. Among the learnings are that while there are so many external factors beyond our circles of control and influence, the mind and human spirit are a powerful force in any situation. If we can learn to shift our mindset and reframe how we interpret everyday experiences, we can greatly improve our chances of achieving a flow state and ultimately, happiness. Csikszentmihaly suggests that people who are most successful at achieving flow state possess a trait called "nonself-conscious individualism," or a strongly directed purpose, and are intrinsically motivated.
This may be a bit much for a Monday, so we'll pause here, creating space for absorption and reflection questions:
How does your mind filter experiences? Through what type of lens do you view your world?
When and how do you experience "flow?"
"Whatever is flexible and flowing will tend to grow." - Tao Te Ching
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