Flow - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

 The COVID-19 pandemic changed us for good. Nobody thought much would come from being stuck with Netflix and the sheer abundance of time. And then, just like that, we turned to books when we were done scoring through all the OTT platforms at our disposal. It’s admirable how a global pandemic forced a hard stop to our fast-paced lives and made us sit down and read. I found a book during the pandemic that changed the way I live my life. Unlike my experience with most of the self-help books I have read, this book had me with a pencil and a notepad. I absorbed every word, phrase, and expression this book had to offer and can’t wait to bring it alive through this quick book review. I present to you Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a Hungarian- American psychologist best known for his work on the “Flow state.” As the name suggests, a flow state is a state of free-flowing consciousness and a calm mental state. He describes the flow state as a state of mind with the highest order of creativity and joy, which we humans yearn for the most. Through his studies in psychology, Csikszentmihalyi has incorporated inputs from artists, dancers, rock climbers, surgeons, and other professional and creative fields to deduce and understand their frame of mind when they are wholly engaged in an activity.

What struck me the most about this book is how the author simplifies the role of the flow state and its use in the mundane activities of day-to-day life. Our daily odd jobs may not be the most interesting or exciting to look forward to, but they must be accomplished to keep our houses running. The author does a brilliant job of simplifying these seemingly tedious tasks and gives examples of how we can use the flow state to masker these tasks efficiently. He further extrapolates this idea to jobs that may look boring or require no creative input and gives examples of how to excel at even the primary activities in our lives.

The book revolves around the general idea that human beings crave happiness. He states that the ultimate form of happiness is not derived from activities of past time but from the hard –truth that maximum satisfaction can only be begotten from sincerely pushing our limits at every instant. That will truly bring a sense of confidence, excellence, and ultimate happiness!

In conclusion, this book has everything 21st-century individuals need to live life at maximum potential. In Steven Kotler’s words, “We are all built for peak performance!”

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