Paz Fundamental, Happytalism y Flujo

“The more flow we experience in daily life, the more likely we are to feel happy overall.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

We all have heard that famous phrase ‘ Just go with the flow,’ haven’t we? But, what does it look like to go with the flow in practice? In some cases, it can mean simply going along with the status quo or allowing things to happen to you without making waves. Is this what a happy life is about? What if you can discover your flow and, in doing so, find absolute peace and happiness?

Decades ago, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi developed the concept of flow to describe a specific state of mind where everything comes naturally. You are working on a task, making progress, while being completely immersed in it. Nothing seems too easy or too complex in a state of flow, and you are just pleasantly engaged in a stimulating experience.

Chances are you’ve experienced that feeling a few times, probably while doing something you love. Whether you were studying, rock climbing, or drawing, you experienced an effortless concentration and focus, feeling like you had complete control over your actions, and time seemed to pass more quickly than usual. At those moments, your status, color of your skin, finances, or anything else were simply irrelevant. Nothing was important except you excelling at the challenge of the task at hand.

We All Want a Meaningful Life

Have you ever felt like your life doesn’t have a purpose or a meaning? Although rarely someone wants to admit it, every one of us has felt this at some point in our lives. And whether we realize it or not, we all strive to lead meaningful lives or at least hide from the lack of it. And almost always, we attempt to distract ourselves by seeking meaning through some form of escape. Naturally, this can rarely provide us with the stimulation we need to change our lives for the better fundamentally.

Similarly, our pursuit of riches is also doomed to fail. After all, we all know too well that money can’t buy happiness. We only need to check the news to see that fame, popularity, and wealth don’t make our lives better. So, if none of these paths brings us happiness, what does?

Don’t Settle

Let’s say it’s Sunday afternoon and you have nothing to do. Where do you turn to find fun and pleasure? You can try painting, reading that book you bought a few months ago or taking up a new instrument. You must know that each of these things requires effort, and none provide an instant reward. Unfortunately, most of us tend to give up and decide to watch something on tv. But will this bring you lasting satisfaction?

It may engage you for a while, but that’s about it. That is why we should stay away from settling into our meaningful, non-fulfilling ways. Because, although watching a movie is awesome, it’s unlikely to make you a better person or

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