A fellow called Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced chick sent me high) came up with the 'theory of flow'. It's that place where people go when they are completely and utterly absorbed in an activity and where they are at their happiest. When we go to this place our hearts and minds are ripe for learning and this is the case for all age groups. The 'flow zone' is where challenge is equally matched to a persons skills. Where difficult challenges are met with a low skill level, there might be panic and learning is hampered. When skills out do the challenge, we become bored and again learning isn't optimized. But when skill and challenge are balanced and equal, flow can occur. You lose all sense of time, you are completely absorbed and you don't get distracted easily.
So today we went out into the bitter cold. We were shown how to use wood tools then set loose with branches, knives, splitter tools and chisels. I tried to carve a duck of my own design from a tree branch about 5 cm in diameter. It was hard work. There were times I stated to feel discouraged as I couldn't get the hang of the movements needed in the use of the knife. I had to experiment, solve problems and create and I did this for three hours straight. At one point I realized that my bottom was numb from sitting astride a log for the better part of two hours. My toes were numb from the cold and my hands and wrists hurt. All of these were with me for the majority of the three hour session but I was so absorbed in what I was doing that I didn't notice. I was not aware of the passage of time. I was in my happy place, a place of mindfulness. I was in the zone.
I leave you with this tonight. What takes you to your zone? Where do you get to experience 'flow' as I did today?
Before I go, a friend and colleague sent me this TEDTALK. It is very relevant to my journey and certainly got me thinking, as I hope it will you. Thanks Robyn.
Before I go, a friend and colleague sent me this TEDTALK. It is very relevant to my journey and certainly got me thinking, as I hope it will you. Thanks Robyn.
