The Philosophy of Flow 

"Those who flow as life flows, know they need no other force" - Lao Tzu

Eastern philosophy describes flow or "wu-wei" as a state of effortless action. In this state, you no longer force results but rather trust the natural rhythms of life to provide the best outcomes. Flow is the path of least resistance; it requires releasing control and yielding to life's unfolding. 

In positive psychology, flow refers to the state of being in which you are fully immersed with and operating in perfect harmony with the present moment. Often referred to as "the zone," high-performers stumble into this state during moments where intense focus meets skill and challenge -- creating the necessary conditions for the experience of flow. 

Find Your Flow

1. Meet Your Ego.

Your ego is the part of your mind responsible for your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The ego mind, according to author Eckhart Tolle, projects an external image of ourselves onto the world - this image projects out to create the world we live in and dictates how we experience the present moment. 

Our ego was created to give us a sense of personal identity and subsequently, separation between us and the world around us. If someone asks "who are you?," the ego might reply with something along the lines of "I am [insert occupation, hobby, gender, interests, religion, relationship status, past experience]." Taoism suggests that our ego-self identity distances and distracts us from our true nature. 

You are not your name, profession, possessions, past experiences or problems. 

Your true self is who you are when you remove the labels of your life story.

To find flow become aware of your ego by observing your thoughts. 

2. Stay Humble.   

Life is not a competition - therefore there is no need to be better than anyone outside of your self. To be in flow means to find focus and peace with your own path, keeping your attention on what's in front of you without comparison or judgment of the paths moving around you. 

Lao Tzu said "all streams flow to the sea, because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it it's power." Although each river (or life path) flows at its own depth and speed, they each reach the same sea where they return to their oneness.

To find flow focus on your own path by staying in your present moment.

3. Practice Patience. 

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Still curious to learn more? 

Keywords to search

- Flow State 

- Nehay Checnzimehi 

- Taosm 

- Lao Tzy