Hi there,

We all have something we’re passionate about. Maybe you’re an avid skier, a crafty seamstress, or love playing guitar. Whatever it is, this activity completely absorbs your attention, eliminating any other distractions. We call this state flow – which goes beyond mere enjoyment and taps into something greater and existential. Some go as far as to say that flow is what life is really all about.


Believe it or not, there is a scientific approach to this profound experience. Flow depends on finding the perfect ratio between skill and challenge. On one hand, if we aren’t very experienced at something but are put to the ultimate test, we’ll probably panic (think of a novice surfer facing a 20 foot wave in Hawaii). On the other hand, if we are extremely gifted at something but are given a simple task, we’ll probably be bored (think of a professional chess player taking on a 3-year-old in a match).

The key here is determining your personal skill level, then identifying the ideal difficulty of challenge that’ll push you to feel your flow

Want to find your flow? Let’s take a look back at last week’s sessions to find out how:

🧠 Mindfulness Monday

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed the difference between focused attention (like a flashlight shining on one object 🔦) and diffuse attention (like a lantern glowing on many💡). We can think of flow as entering the ultimate state of focussed attention, where everything disappears from our periphery except for that one activity.

🔍 Attention Training Tuesday

Today we practiced some journaling prompts to help us identify where and how we want to foster flow in our lives. Try them out below!

  • “I experience flow when I…”

  • “Experiencing flow more frequently might help me…”

  • “Things I can do to set myself up for flow include…”

❤️‍🩹 Compassionate Wednesday

One barrier that blocks us from reaching flow is our inner critic – needlessly criticizing our mistakes to the point it hinders growth. To foster self-compassion that counters our inner critic, we can use Tara Brach’s acronym RAIN: Recognize the situation, Allow it to be, Investigate what went wrong, then Nurture yourself to try again.

🙏 Thankfulness Thursday

o help spark some inspiration for your journey toward flow, here are the closing lines of the poem “For a New Beginning” by John O’Danahue.

“Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”

🏆 Practical Friday

According to flow expert Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, flow “is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives.” To activate this high level of intrinsic motivation, make sure the activity is truly something you want to pursue, not just one you feel like you ought to.

Join 15 Minutes of Positivity Today!

To find your flow, be sure to join our 15 Minutes of Positivity sessions every Monday - Friday at 12:00 PST. The best part is: it’s free! For more information or to sign up, click here. If you have any questions or want to find out more, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Thanks for sticking around! Stay tuned for more positivity next time.

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