Most Sundays, I take long, all-weather hikes along the White River. My favorite spot is Southwestway Park on the southwest side of Indianapolis. It’s quiet, especially in rainy or cold weather—I can often walk for two hours without seeing another person. I selfishly savor having the park all to myself.
I’ve hiked these trails at least 100 times, first with two dogs, then one, and now by myself. Week after week, I return to observe the subtle seasonal changes and revisit favorite spots. My very favorite is right along the White River, at the roots of a tree that form a cradle into which I can relax my entire body.
And as I sit in silent reflection, I notice what I can hear, but more strikingly, what I can’t.
The White River, on average gushes about 1,600 gallons of water per second. One of my favorite stories from the past year, especially given my fondness for the White River and competitive swimming, was that the pools from the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials were filled with River water (albeit, meticulously treated)! Were the White River to flow directly into one of those Olympic-sized swimming pools, at the rate of 1,600 gallons per second, it would only take 7 minutes to fill.
Despite the river’s power, it’s silent. Yet, a bird’s call or a raindrop is unmistakable.
I’ve wondered whether the sound of the bird’s call over the power of 1,600 gallons per second is a reminder of the power of a single voice. But more than anything the lesson I carry home with me is the power of flow.
The concept of the “flow state” was first introduced by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, known as the “father of flow”. He said: “Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
Often referred to as being “in the zone”, the flow state is characterized by a sense of timelessness. The creation, not just production, that comes from your flow state is timeless as it collapses your lifetime of experience, wisdom, suffering, and joy into one mindful and focused moment after the next. With minimal distraction, and in alignment with your highest values, your work flows from your inner world into the outer world.
Flow state is not flashy, and it’s not loud. You’re not going to stop in the middle of the flow state to post on LinkedIn about being in the flow state. The flow state is purpose-driven. The flow speaks for itself. But its power cannot be understated. So in a world where we are either keeping up with the Joneses or the Kardashians, where comparison is the thief of joy, and companies are paying countless dollars to keep us addicted to our phones and in competition with each other, finding your flow state is the antithesis of the rat race. And a nice walk along the White River might be just the reminder you needed.
