Flow: Guide to Personal Transformation by Fred Hilgenfeldt
Achieving a State of Flow in a World full of Walls
- How can we learn to deal with our experiences?
- How does our past influence us?
- Who are we, at our core?
- What is our purpose?
This book seeks to answer these questions, illustrating the research conducted with the author's personal experiences. Amazingly, all answers seem to be connected to one principle: the ancient Greek saying of 'Panta Rhei' - that life is ever-flowing and ever-changing. Divided into four parts, 'Flow' is both a theoretical framework and a practical approach to understanding and embracing life's challenges, from dealing with past traumas to finding one's true purpose and identity.
In Part I - The Self in Resistance, we look at patterns of learned resistance to experiences. An evolutionary bias to get stuck in traumatic experiences. These experiences can distort our perception of reality. To resolve this, we need to realize that the danger has passed and that we are completely safe. In ancient times, this focus on the negative would help us to avoid repeated confrontation of known dangers. In today’s world, barely anything genuinely threatens our survival. This makes our learned distortion of objective reality rather unnecessary.
Part II - The Self in Flow is a toolbox to accessing blocked experiences and emotions and resolving them. With the tools provided, we can let experiences pass through our body and mind to feel safe. We also learn about the art of observation without judgement or blocking. Authentically expressing experiences instead of resisting them leads to a natural flow.
In Part III - The World in Flow, we draw inspiration from historical texts and concepts. We learn why the saying is “everything flows” instead of “I flow”. We become aware of the connection between ourselves and the world. We discuss the relationship between suffering and growth. We will learn how attachment leads to suffering. We’ll also discuss how a spiritual death leads us to an eternal self that is constantly unfolding as impermanent worldly ongoings. Connection, non-duality and impermanence are key concepts coming into play here. These discussions are wonderful for thinking about the big, philosophical questions in life. Unfortunately, getting stuck in theory can too often feel disconnected from our daily life.
This is why in Part IV - The World in Action we translate these ideas into daily life. How do we turn prior insights into a lasting quality of life? What are actionable steps that we can take along the way? We'll explore the advantages of having goals, discipline and a purpose. Moreover, we will learn about the importance of responsibility. It is crucial to find a balance between a desire for action while not being concerned with the fruit of our action. The less we worry about the resulting impact of our action, the more content we feel about the current state of affairs.
Why you should read "Flow":
- Straightforward: Clear insights with research quoted, making complex ideas accessible and actionable.
- Empowering: Offers insights and tools for those who are looking for direction or need a little boost.
- Relatable: Illustrated with personal stories that bring key concepts to life.
Dive into "Flow", get access to the concepts and discover how you can lead a life filled with more joy, understanding, and a sense of being at ease with the world!