Simply the most important book for anyone who wants a passion and not just a career. Too many people ask themselves the wrong question. Am I happy? What is happiness? etc.. Instead of getting an answer, they get caught in the debate, because they aren't really looking to be happy. They are looking for Flow. (Of course it sounds funny to say "I'm flow" not the best word choice on his part. To me, its better described as nirvana.)

Flow is that feeling when you are so at one with what you are doing that everything else fades away. It could be that feeling when you are laughing with your kids or making a new discovery at work, or baking a cake or helping a divorced couple find a way to get along so the kids don't suffer. It's whatever you do that makes you so absorbed in it, you are one with the task at that moment. And the fulfillment and satisfaction accompanying those moments is really what most of us seek when we use the word happiness.

( )

Better than average self-help book by a respected psychologist. But it's still basically a self-help book and a 23-year-old one at that. I guess I was expecting a little more. ( )

Flow is a concept extensively researched by Csikszentmihalyi (chick-sent-me-hi). It is the state that one gets into when one is concentrating and focused. Flow is a product of an organized consciousness.

The book starts by looking at happiness. Study participants report themselves to be happier when they have been in a state of flow. (One surprising consequence is that, in general, people have more positive experiences when working than during their leisure time.) Happiness is more often caused by situations that cause enjoyment than those that cause pleasure. Pleasure is what one feels when fulfilling biological or psychological needs. Enjoyment is what one feels when one is actively creating a positive experience that goes beyond basic needs. One activity can have elements of both; a food lover may feel pleasure eating (because eating satisfies hunger) and enjoyment (because the food lover appreciates the meal as an experience).

Having concluded that happiness is often caused by being in the state of flow, the author details elements of the flow experience:

A challenging activity that requires skills. Flow experiences are often seen as enjoyable because they are challenging. One has to concentrate and use skills that are not used in day to day experience.

The merging of action and awareness. Action may feel effortless when one is in a flow state. The experience is the center of activity, so one does not think about the difficulty of what one is doing.

Clear goals and feedback. Games and sports are common flow activities. One reason for this is that they have clearly defined goals and provide ample feedback. Having clear goals and feedback helps prevent one from becoming frustrated or bored.

Concentration on the task at hand. People in a state of flow are concentrating on their task to the exclusion of day to day concerns. That explains why I am so absent minded!

The paradox of control. People in a state of flow do not worry about losing control. This does not mean that they are reckless. A rock climber in a state of flow is aware of how every action affects their safety. They just are confident that they can prevent failure. This is called a paradox because it occurs in situations where, in some ways, one has less control because the situation is governed by rules or otherwise restricted.

The loss of self-consciousness. Being in a state of flow results in a concept of one's self that is more complex. During the flow experience, however, one's self-consciousness decreases. Instead of concentrating on oneself, one concentrates on the activity at hand.

The transformation of time. During a flow experience, time may seem to go quickly or slowly. Time may seem to go quickly while one is lost in the flow, but at moments when concentration is most vital it may seem to slow down so that one has time to take in every detail.

The rest of book describes different experiences that can cause the flow state. There are chapters describing the state of flow as it relates to physical experiences, mental experiences, work, people, and even tragedy. This section of the book contains many examples from various studies.

Csikszentmihalyi's book takes a reasonably rigorous look at an interesting and important psychological phenomenon. Anyone who has seen the term "flow" bandied around on the internet and wondered if it was a well founded concept would do well to read this book. ( )

Today was a Saturday. I spent most of the day worrying about what to make for dinner, watching my toddler, and doing miscellaneous stuff. But I determined, in the late afternoon, to replace the flush valve in the bathroom. Even though I had put it off for a week, and wasn't looking forward to getting that up close and personal with my toilet, it was the quickest, most enjoyable hour of my day. What happened? Flow.

I've heard Csikszentmihalyi's work summarized multiple times(he's a big thing in the business world)*, but that doesn't mean that I heard it all. In fact, the summarization of his definition of "Flow" is just the beginning of what ends up being a powerful argument for meaning, accountability, and growth.

I, being me, would love a Chicago style of notes but the notes are definitely there in my non-preferred style. His chapters on others were really interesting. He would be an interesting soul to chat with.

*Simon Sinek has a lovely pronunciation guide of his name in one of his books. :) ( )

This book taught me a lot. ( )