BOOK SUMMARY: FLOW
Flow book is written by Mihaly Csikzentmihaly. This book is based on happiness. The author had interviewed lot of experts from different field and developed the theory of optimal experience. He termed it, flow.
It is a state in which every people immerge in an activity that nothing seems to matter. The experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it for the sheer sake of doing it. When consciousness is harmoniously ordered, one’s skills are competent to cope with the challenge and we feel a sense of exhilaration and enjoyment in our effort and creativity.
The author asserts in the book that enjoyable events happen when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and challenging. When a person confronts challenges and exceeds his own expectations such optimal experience brings true happiness.
In the book, flow experiences ensues only when someone feels that his skills are adequate to cope with challenges at hand, his attention is invested in realistic goals and efforts help him succeed.
The experience of flow transforms potential threats into enjoyable challenges and this experience can be converted into concrete actions by following steps…
Setting goals- Everybody should set clear goals to experience flow and to strive for which involves recognising the challenges and limitations. If I make a goal to become a cricket player then I must learn how to bat or ball etc.
Immerse in activity- We should try to immerse in the goal we set. Concentration is so intense, there is no attention leftover to think about anything irrelevant and there is nothing to worry as ongoing stream of experience becomes enjoyable
Attention on happening- We should timely analyse our skills to cope with challenges we have or may have in our goals. We should have rule bound action system that provides clear clues as how well we are performing.
Enjoy Experience- When experience becomes instinctively rewarding, life seems justified. Alienation gives way to involvement enjoyment replaces boredom, helplessness turn into a feeling of control and energy works to reinforce the sense of self.
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