“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” ~ WIZARD OF OZ
Dear Readers, Community, Friends,
Where do you reside?
Most days, are you filled with impossible expectations and far-off dreams of greatness? Or, have you realized you are doing your best, and with the right tools, these dreams of yours will actually be in reach some day. A little of both, perhaps?
I think the Wizard’s quote above is my favorite of all time. To me, it sheds light on the absurdity of what happens when we live in a state of craving for a grandiose self, instead of realizing all we need lies right here within us. We just have to know how to tap into it.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains this all too well. When we develop our minds to be curious and non-reactive, we are experiencing what he coined as “flow” – “the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process.” {Wikipedia}
Take a moment to think of an activity you engage in that might ignite this quality within. Using Mihaly’s diagram below, how does this activity stack up? Does it bring you to the flow state? How often daily/weekly/monthly do you experience flow?
Flow = the Secret to Happiness
{Csikszentmihalyi's flow model}
NEW BOOK FOR VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB – LET’S DIVE IN!
I found a book that seemed to be the next, natural step to actualizing our fullest selves:
GoodReads describes it best: “We are capable of so much more than we know—that’s the message at the core of The Art of Impossible. Building upon cutting-edge neuroscience and over twenty years of research, author Steven Kotler lays out a blueprint for extreme performance improvement and offers a playbook to make it happen.”
I have started the book, and the thing I love most is how simply stated, but powerful his writing is. For example, I’m creating a new body of art, and hearing what he has said so far, I not only think it will refine my creative process, I imagine it will help me to conceptualize deeper meaning into my work. So, try it out. The first two chapters are short. See what you think!
I thought a good flow might be to start reading September 1st, covering 2 chapters per week until Thanksgiving.
Here’s one of Steve’s talks to inspire you:
I hope you join me on this new journey. I’m excited to see where it will lead!
This is the 43rd issue of Platinum News! Written by Julie Miles, her passion is to act as a liaison between the Platinum team, their wonderful clients, and the community – striving to tell their stories, and make meaningful connections that fuel everyone’s purpose. Have a story to tell? Contact Julie here. • Not subscribed to this monthly newsletter? You may do so here.
