Description: Part psychological study, part self-help book, Finding Flow is a prescriptive guide that helps us reclaim ownership of our lives. Based on a far-reaching study of thousands of individuals, Finding Flow contends that we often walk through our days unaware and out of touch with our emotional lives. Our inattention makes us constantly bounce between two extremes: during much of the day we live filled with the anxiety and pressures of our work and obligations, while during our leisure moments, we tend to live in passive boredom. The key, according to Csikszentmihalyi, is to challenge ourselves with tasks requiring a high degree of skill and commitment. Instead of watching television, play the piano. Transform a routine task by taking a different approach. In short, learn the joy of complete engagement. Thought they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-altering.
Brief description:
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is distinguished professor of psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University. He is a former professor and chairman of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago. He is also the founder and codirector of the Quality of Life Research Center, a nonprofit research institute that studies "positive psychology." His books include Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience and The Evolving Self, as well as numerous articles and contributions to other works.