Have you ever wondered what makes people content and happy in their life? In his book Flow: The Classic Work on how to Achieve Happiness the author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has addressed this very question.
The author through his decades of research in positive aspects of humans where they are deeply engrossed and enjoy their work has given the concept of FLOW. He describes FLOW as a state of mind where you are completely into the task you are performing, the time seems to pass fast and its results in a complete stage of happiness.
In the very first chapter Csikszentmihalyi, talk about happiness as it was perceived earlier and the meaning he discovered through his research.
Gradually in the next chapter, he talks about attention as psychic energy and why one should achieve control on their attention. With this foundation, in the third chapter author describes the concept of Flow and the activities of Flow. Further in the chapters, he proceeds through different factors that influence Flow ranging from family, friends to work and leisure. In the concluding chapters, the author gives practical tips and tricks to inculcate flow even in the activities we consider boring to achieve happiness.
While the book tries to help the reader with a map to achieve the highest state of happiness but also fails in some areas. It has been focused to achieve flow in the task you are already good at and does not help in the period of mastering the skill. Yet, the author has tried his best to explain the complex concepts in laymen's language so that the readers can apply them in their lives. In the end, the author also urges readers to look for their life's purpose to achieve the state of flow. The book hence is an excellent read to understand the psychological concept of happiness and how can one achieve it through FLOW.
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