Flow

I just read the book "Flow" on the recommendation of my therapist.I was having trouble finding pleasure in day to day life and was stuck in a dangerous pattern of seeking out physical and mental "highs." I found the book to be very interesting and it inspired me to take the time to observe my own surroundings ( the sensation of the keys on the keyboard when I type, the slight hunger in my belly as I near dinner time.) Life is a much richer experience when you take the time to be in a moment and ironically wind up losing yourself in the moment. This absorbtion is what I believe to be "the process." The book also suggests that goals can only accomodate this enjoyable "process" if they are challanging yet achievable. I set a goal for running a 5k. This was a challange but very obtainable and as my body became used to the sensation of running and I neared closer to my goal, I lost myself in that described "runner's zone." Once I achieved the 5k, I set a goal for a 10k. If you don't set out to run a marathon but to achieve smaller goals, you may just wind up running that marathon and actually enjoying it while you run it. I'm not a buddist but I have heard that buddists seek inner peace. This is a huge goal, so they set smaller goals for meditation and practice, ultimately believing that they can someday achieve inner peace. This sounds no different to me than my goals for running albeit much more impressive.