The Wonderful Mystery of Being "In the Flow!"

Back in the 90's, there was a very popular psychology/self-help book entitled "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Yes, that's his name. No, I can't pronounce it...

Although I never actually read the book, lots of people around me were eternally talking about it, and I came to understand a few things about this idea of "flow."

Where do we find flow...?

When Things Just "Flow..."

I won't get into a whole book review here, but I think most of us have experienced that feeling of "flow," from time to time.

I experienced it yesterday, when I visited another site where I write (to check up on old articles) and — on a whim — decided I wanted to add a new piece to my portfolio there.

Of course, I can't speak for anyone else's process, but for me "writing an article" (about 1200 words) is typically a laborious process that takes several hours, followed by a couple of hours of copy editing and selecting illustrations; then checking for typos and keywords and so on.

Except... yesterday, I flew through the entire process in about 90 minutes, without any fits and starts.

As a result of which I was reminded of why I really enjoy writing!

Lavender in the afternoon sun

Excessive Focus on RESULTS...

One of the things I suddenly remembered about "Flow" is that it was ultimately an exploration of finding enjoyment in what we do.

But in our modern world, we tend to experience flow less often than we might, because of our tremendous focus on "outcome;" like being very concerned with thoughts like "I HAVE to do this, and it HAS to generate such and such results, or so much MONEY," or whatever.

We don't do very many things just "for enjoyment's sake," these days.

Often we're too busy to just take a few hours for enjoyment. Or, at least, we tell ourselves that.

Unusual lens flare during a golden sunset shoot...

For an increasing number of people, the pervasive subtext called "I have to make a living" takes the shine right out of the enjoyment of what we do. The "flow" is disrupted by the overriding need to create a specific outcome. Usually, that outcome is called "I have to make money!"

Suddenly there is pressure. Stress. Expectations. Goals. Ambitions.

And yes, I know there are people who derive enjoyment from "making money;" I just don't happen to be motivated that way.

The reason I experienced those moments of Flow while writing yesterday, was that there was absolutely no (conscious) purpose to what I was doing... I just wanted to refresh my feed on a site I'd long since written off as being able to help generate significant income... I was just "writing for fun."

No pressure to "achieve."

And that made it easy!

And, in an odd twist, I am actually having more fun posting on Steemit these days, perhaps because the rewards are so low that I just don't care anymore, so the posts (like this one!) are easier to create.

There is "flow," of sorts.

How about YOU? Are you familiar with the concept of "Flow?" Even if not, do you have a sense of what I am talking about? Have you experienced times of "flow?" What were the circumstances? Can you call up that feeling "on command," while engaged in certain activities? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

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(As always, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180913 01:26 PDT