Overview- Flow the psychology of optimal experience written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi basically sums up on how to be happy with not only your self but about life in general. As most people say money does not buy happiness and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi goes into extreme detail explaining that in many ways and through studies with a lot of well rounded individuals. People tend to dwell on the past or something that is out of there hands that they can not control. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi focusses on how to now dwell and to focus on your self and especially your inner self through out life. He goes is depth explaining how no one is ever satisfied with how they look or how much they have or make because most people are never satisfied and happy with them selves or what they have in life.Life is a great thing and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains how much we should enjoy our life on earth everyday and focus on the positives and less on negatives especially on things we can not control.
Favorite Part- My favorite part was Chapter 3: Enjoyment And The Quality Of Life. This chapter shows the eight major components of enjoyment in recent studies that were done. Most people reflect and show when they have experienced something positive they tend to mention one of these 8 elements as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states. First, the experience usually occurs when we confront tasks we have a chance of completing. Next we as individuals must be able to concentrate on what we are doing. third and forth, the focus is usually possible because the task taken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback. Fifth, one acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removes from awareness and the worries and frustrations of everyday life. The sixth is the enjoyable experiences that allow people to exercise a sense of control over their own actions. Seven is the concern for self disappears, where paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over. Lastly, the sense of the duration of time is altered, hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch to hours. This chapter was completely fascinating because everyday we all experience this as individuals because when we are doing something we like time will fly by compared to doing something we do not like where it feels like hours and days have gone by. Doing something you love or do not mind makes everyday a lot easier especially your flow getting started.
Related- Flow Written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi relates to this class by the chapter incentives. On one of the slides Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi speaks at a ted talk about the meaning behind flow and how people live with unsettling goals constantly. No matter what people have or look like no one will ever be satisfied on what they have but care about what they don't have or don't look like.
Extension- This book as opened my eyes not only on life but it made me look at my self to see why I was doing things the book said not to stress over. I go through life everyday trying to be the best in school and make sure I make as much money as I can. As everyone always says money can not buy happiness but I truly believed it did until I read this book. We all focus on things that we want to do but don't focus on our inner self and enjoy everyday as our last. Flow has made me realize to sit back and enjoy life as it takes me and do not look back at anything.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discussing Flow at a TED Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_u-Eh3h7Mo
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