Monday, May 2, 2005

"...a happy state of mind called "flow," the feeling of complete engagement in a creative or playful activity familiar to athletes, musicians, video-game enthusiasts - almost anyone who loses himself in a favorite pursuit."

TIME, January 17, 2005; p. A4

Flow. That state of mind where the rest of the peripheral world simply fades away. Not because it's not important, but simply because you're caught up in the rapture of the moment. What a great place to be, but how often do we every find ourselves there? It happens more often to you then you think, but it may only last for a fleeting moment.

For me, it may be a simple thought or observation that makes my mind reel; so much so, my wife Di has to tap me on the shoulder to bring me back to the present. For me, it's those little faces of my triplets staring up at me from the height of my knees; all smiles and drooling and babbling. I could get lost in those looks for an entire day.

For you, it may be the roar of a motorcycle engine and the wind in your face. For someone else, it may be a lively 10k race under their best time. And for someone else, it may be Mendelssohn's G Minor Piano Concerto. It is a moment, a movement, an emotion that touches the heart and lifts the spirit. It strikes at the very core of our humanness and lifts it up beyond its finiteness. So take a moment to identify and locate your personal flow - then lose yourself in it every now and then.

As it has been said, perhaps, sometimes, it's not such a bad thing to "go with the flow."