Flow - A Poetic Summary

I finished reading the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi this afternoon. It took me almost two weeks to finish it, one chapter at a time. A pretty intense book if that's any justification. A lot of research, some pretty challenging views and ideas and many great insights into the concept of human happiness and accomplishment. I especially loved the last chapter and thought it was a fitting climax to the book. I was pretty generous with my highlighter all through. Most of the time, when I finish reading a book, the inclination is to rely on the highlighted portions to summarize it on this blog. But there are times when such a task can be quite challenging. Flow is a tough book to summarize. Anyway, the book was so inspiring that I decided to attempt to be creative in my summary. For the first time, I am going to try a 'poetic' summary. What? :-)


This poem is dedicated to all those people who experience(d) Flow and use (have used) that to make a difference to this world! 

Life dealt them with many a hard blow...
But it never diminished their inherent glow! 
A purpose to be extremely proud of,
A reason to be always happy and laugh!
An intoxicated affair with life as a whole,
A mysterious relationship with one's own soul.
A well balanced approach pregnant with equanimity,
Equal attention to both the self and society. 
Goal followed by effort followed by another goal...
Little concern for the consequences or the toll! 
Placing a positive interpretation on every event, 
No time to regret, worry or repent! 
A single minded pursuit worthy of intense admiration,
Based on self-discovery & leading to true elation!
A life of meaning and harmony...
Far away from the world of money.
Many more lives they are certain to inspire, 
Tearing them away from being a victim of banal desire.
No chances of a break-down whatsoever...
Enthusiasm and passion more than the need to be clever!
No chances of giving in to adversity...
Always turning around a situation with positivity! 
That, in a nutshell, is the story of Flow,
Always on a high and never once low!