“The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
– Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Performance
A World War II prisoner who witnessed much pain and suffering, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi became curious about happiness and life contentment. Through years of research, he concluded that happiness is an internal state of being, not an external one.
“Happiness takes a committed effort to be manifested,” he states—and introducing more “flow” into our lives is key. The best moments are not when we're relaxed or passive, but rather when we achieve a state of “optimal experience” by being so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter, he says. Self-consciousness reduces, and our activity becomes effortless—such as when a competent musician plays without thinking.
When have you felt a sense of “flow”? How can you introduce more of those moments into your life?
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