Flow

 

I’ve been reading Jane McGonigal’s, Reality is Broken. I don’t have the proper words to express how much this book is rocking my world. It’s about games and their ability to make us happier and, dare I say it, change the world.

Early in the book she discusses a concept known as flow or “the satisfying, exhilarating feeling of creative accomplishment and heightened functioning.”  It’s not her idea but one of psychologist Míhály Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced cheek-SENT-me-high). Csíkszentmihályi discovered games are an excellent source of flow. The problem is environments like work and school inhibit flow. Instead of being fully engaged with life we spend most of our time bored and anxious. Both McGonigal and Csíkszentmihályi agree the key to increasing flow in our lives is to make our real world more like the games we play.  There’s more to it than that, of course. Reality is Broken is full of fixes to help achieve this point. Think of it as patches to the faulty software of the real world.

I want this. I want flow. It’s my clear intention for this blog to explore ways to fully engage with the world around me and implement them into my life. I’m ready. Let’s play.

Comments

[Tammy]

Another great picture and blog....I can feel the flow...

Still so proud you're doing this. After you posted on Friday I spent the weekend working on my story. I got about 3,500 more words! Thanks for the inspiration!! You rock!