The well-known psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has coined the term "flow". He explains that flow is a state wherein we are so engrossed with the work at hand that we lose awareness of time. He has written a book titled "Flow" and explained that most geniuses in different fields of science, arts, and sports experience the state of flow on their occasions. On the other hand, we often experience stress and work pressure. Are we doing more work than scientists like Einstein or Newton, sportsmen like Michael Phelps, or artists like Vasco da Gama? Definitely not. Then why are we so stressed, and these people were in a state of flow?
Krishna in the Bhagwat Geeta has given one simple "mantra" for the state of flow. He says that we should concentrate on "swadharma" and not think of the "results". It is often criticized that if we do not think of the results, how will we get the motivation to work? Since childhood, we have been told that we do hard work to get a result. We study hard to get a good job, marry to get a partner who will take care of us, and have kids who will take care of us in old age. Every effort is for a result, and the result is either survival or comforts.
Why are we so obsessed with "survival"? It is because we are unaware of what exists beyond "death". If we get to see ourselves passing through different bodies in different lifetimes, we will not be so obsessed with survival. Thus, our obsession with survival is a result of our ignorance. The ignorance is so widespread that there is no occasion to doubt the same. Almost everybody we interact with during the day is obsessed with survival.
Why are we so obsessed with comforts? Because we have listened to so many stories about comforts and never get to test the same. Life is very comfortable abroad. This is a mental story many students make. When they reach abroad, there is an initial shock. It's a package. Some things are missing in India, and different things are missing in the USA. The air may be cleaner and the infrastructure may be better, but then there is a long separation from parents and friends. The freedom to go to the native land and come back and talk to people has been significantly reduced due to the difference in time zone and the distance. These are visa restrictions. We make mental stories about a well-paid job. Once we get that job, it eats away most of our active time, and slowly we start feeling like we're trapped in a cage.
A little observation would reveal that we "seek" comforts because of our ignorance. A more comfortable home, a luxurious bed, and tasty food are bound to make us ill. The moment we realize that, we step out of our home and start walking and doing exercise. The moment we step out of our home, the need for a luxurious home gets reduced. The desire to have tasty food is reduced. The moment we become aware of the hidden cost of social validation, our obsession with social approval is gone. The moment we become aware of the cost of accumulating money, our obsession with accumulation is gone.
The problem is that all these realizations take time to sink in. It is because we close our minds. If we stay aware, we would realize the impact of oily and spicy food on our body in real-time. But since we are not aware, we keep abusing our bodies constantly and get to know when we get our first annual health checkup done in our 40s. We keep abusing our minds with mental stories, stress, and fixations until we face depression, and things are out of our hands. A closed mind is naturally bound to face depression.
Coming back to the message of Krishna, our fixation on results is due to our fixation with survival and comforts. Our fixation with comforts and survival is because of our lack of awareness of reality. Not so that reality is hidden from some of us. But because some of us have closed ourselves off. Light is freely available to everybody. The sun does not distinguish among the people. Some close their doors and windows and also put up thick curtains. How can we blame the Sun for not giving light if a person has closed himself off? The sun is shining bright.
People who operate in a state of "flow" are aware. They know that "fear" has a functional utility and keep it limited to that. After all, we do not carry our shoes on our heads. The role of "fear" is to make us safe and not to reduce our efficiency. They understand the limited utility of comforts in our lives and therefore do not waste their precious time on those. They also recognize the limited utility of social validation and are aware of its trap. Additionally, they understand the false security provided by beliefs and mental concepts of reality, and thus continually challenge their own beliefs. Since they are not fixated on any of these things, they do not work for a result; rather, they work according to their "swadharma, " their innate nature. This is the reason why, while working, their minds are not "seeking" some reward. There is no conflict. They "love" to enter the domain of the "unknown. " The second movement of the mind that constantly reminds us, 'what is there in it for me?" is missing. That's why efficiency is at its peak. That is also why the sense of time is lost, and they are in a state of "flow. " A mind that is fixated on survival, comforts, social validation, or beliefs can not experience the state of 'flow" because every time it enters into the domain of "unknown", there would be a strong pull by the mind asking a question "what is there in it for me?" and the moment this question comes, there is a conflict and "flow" disappears.
Comments