Alexandra Blockton 

Ablockton@lc.edu 

Often, individuals can find an activity that brings them joy and happiness! It can allow them to enhance their sense of self-growth and achieve their goals. This can be known as a transformation for the betterment of their life. At times, someone can become so focused on a task at school, work, or within their personal lives that they enjoy themselves without letting anything or anyone distract them from this specific task.  

In the book titled, “Flow,” author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has a doctorate in Psychology wrote, “This growth of the self occurs only if the interaction is an enjoyable one, that is, if it offers nontrivial opportunities for action and requires a constant perfection of skills.” It can involve someone in the flow of the mind, body, and work.  

An individual can be in a state of flow related to optimal experiences in which their skills are consistent with hard work and dedication. Such as finding pleasure in completing a task. Typically, this is a recurring event that happens when a person is positively spirited—when they are working smartly. It can lead them to success. Time is another crucial factor involving the optimal experience because it determines how a person can enjoy their task without paying attention to the clock on the wall.  

Csikszentmihalyi said, “Often hours seem to pass by in minutes; in general, most people report that time seems to pass much faster.” These individuals seem to find so much joy within themselves that it does not bother them when time passes by.  

However, there are many states of flow one can experience in life. The states of flow that someone can experience that I find of interest are the flow of the mind, body, and work.  

First, when someone is in the flow of the mind, it leads them to wonderful thoughts with motivation to proceed. These individuals are more fascinated by their imagination than by material items. They can receive rewards in return. These individuals become excited from their thoughts! 

For example, someone can be motivated to complete a task involving creative ideas by utilizing their imagination. It can bring a deep sense of enjoyment! Csikszentmihalyi says, “Great thinkers have always been motivated by the enjoyment of thinking rather than by the material rewards that could be gained by it.”  

Second, when the body is in flow it involves one’s physical skills. For example, someone playing on a sports team is fascinated with the win from flow of the body. Regarding how fast they can move a ball in a game to score within the remaining in the fourth quarter of the game. They know their skill will allow their team to take the win. “The purest form of athletics and sports in general is to break through the limitations of what the body can accomplish,” Csikszentmihalyi says.  

Thirdly, when an individual is involved with work as flow, it is as if they are undergoing a positive transformation within their lives. They are led by their goals in life and are considered to possess multiple skills.  

For example, someone could be working on a task involving their employer while utilizing many of their skills, including taking a phone call, sending an email, and completing paperwork within the same timeframe. The individual can be in the flow state when working with joy, without realizing that five hours have passed since they started. 

“The view that work undertaken as a flow activity is the best way to fulfill human potentialities has been proposed often enough in the past by various religious and philosophical systems,” Csikszentmihalyi explained.  

An individual can be involved with moments of having flow when they are a part of a religious community. Such as, during the Middle Ages, individuals from the Christian religious community believed preparing a meal was just as impactful as someone assembling a cathedral. When immersed in those tasks, people were happy because they felt they had done it for God.  

Overall, someone with a sense of flow in life is often happy. Although the task can be challenging, the individual enjoys conquering it. The person can be working hard consistently. Someone can become a wonderful leader while in a state of flow. They are content with themselves and the outcome of their work. They are working toward completely involving their mind, body, and work.