The book discusses "what meaning means", and suggests that there are three uses of the word "mean". The book suggests that meaning implies that events are all connected, that peoples' intentions are revealed through actions, and finally that meaning can connect ideas and relationships that are otherwise unconnected. I found that it is vital to find meaning in the activities and thoughts that I participate in on a daily basis. Meaning helps us to apply definition to our intentions or actions, thus providing more structure in our pursuits. The book suggests that, "Napoleon and Mother Teresa may both have achieved equal levels of inner purpose, therefore optimal experience"(374). This example shows the broad spectrum in which Flow can exist. In some point of views, Napoleon can be considered a tyrant bent on destruction and expansion, and if in fact this was his purpose he succeeded. He was successful in his military campaigns and perhaps experienced flow while doing so, because he was so focused on his purpose of expansion. In contrast, Mother Teresa was instrumental in creating hope and social welfare via the Catholic Church. Her purpose was clearly to help humanity and create a stronger world community, nearly the exact opposite of Napoleon. However, both Napoleon and Mother Teresa experienced the same feelings of fulfillment during their quests.
Whether or not we are working in an office building or selling hot dogs on the street, meaning is what motivates us to do the best we can with the task at hand. Flow does not just arrive as the result of hard work, it is the culmination of focus, meaning, effort, and joy. Perhaps we can define our meaning as the pursuit of Flow, at which point we must define each component of obtaining Flow. First we must find what interests us, and surround ourselves with instances of this interest. Then it is essential to define to meaning of these interests, are they personal pursuits, societal pursuits, or a combination of both. Once we decide the meaning of our efforts, it becomes easier to identify a path towards accomplishing our goals. Many people seem to approach their daily lives with an unenthusiastic demeanor, and this may be due to their lack of meaning or direction. We all have goals, but until we define a way to obtain them, they may always be slightly out of reach. Finally, Flow is the result of defining our efforts and placing all of our cognitive efforts in a line pointed at success.
Whether or not we are working in an office building or selling hot dogs on the street, meaning is what motivates us to do the best we can with the task at hand. Flow does not just arrive as the result of hard work, it is the culmination of focus, meaning, effort, and joy. Perhaps we can define our meaning as the pursuit of Flow, at which point we must define each component of obtaining Flow. First we must find what interests us, and surround ourselves with instances of this interest. Then it is essential to define to meaning of these interests, are they personal pursuits, societal pursuits, or a combination of both. Once we decide the meaning of our efforts, it becomes easier to identify a path towards accomplishing our goals. Many people seem to approach their daily lives with an unenthusiastic demeanor, and this may be due to their lack of meaning or direction. We all have goals, but until we define a way to obtain them, they may always be slightly out of reach. Finally, Flow is the result of defining our efforts and placing all of our cognitive efforts in a line pointed at success.
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