Feel me FLOW

"So here we go now, holla if ya hear me though, come and feel me flow."  Ok, Naughty by Nature...get outta my head.  This is serious stuff here!  I couldn't resist with a title like that, though.  Anyway, part of my job--working for "The Man" (See my bio)--and likely one of the best parts of my job, is being able to participate and assist with the popular Leadership Kanawha Valley program.  This program takes current and emerging leaders in the community and works to develop their leadership skills through monthly workshops, tour and discussions on a multitude of topics from arts and culture to building upon your strengths. 

Building on your strengths was part of today's session in which the class learned about and assessed their emotional intelligence and best strengths by utilizing a few books: Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie and Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Graves.  While working with the Transformation Specialists, LP, we were able to learn a little on how to develop our strengths and improve upon them.  Now, I personally think this is wonderful.  I've always believed that you need to work on your strengths...who cares about your weaknesses?  So, you suck at something...big deal...I'm sure you're good at a lot of other things.  At least, that has always been my philosophy.  I'm getting off track here. 

Continuing on.  As the discussion developed into mastering your strengths, the concept of FLOW came up.  Of course there is much more to this concept of FLOW, but in a nutshell and in my understanding, FLOW is what happens when you become so enveloped by the task at hand, whether it be climbing a mountain or perhaps, in my case, writing or working on new Zumba choreography, that you lose all track of time, or perhaps it may be best explained as time stands still as you are consumed by this task.  Once you are finished with this FLOW process, the feeling of completion and that you are a part of something much bigger overtakes you. 

This reminded me of the article I wrote for the Love Romance Passion blog last month, Writing Doesn't Happen Just By Coincidence, in which I talked a little about how to write a book and more specifically, the concept of developing the writing virus.  The main difference between FLOW and the "writing virus" is that with the "writing virus" you don't necessarily, or at least in my case, have that feeling when you are done of being part of something much larger than yourself.  This disappoints me!  I want to have that feeling!  I want to feel me FLOW...so here we go now...no, stop you catchy, catchy, tune!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I have a great sense of accomplishment and pride when I write and complete something, but I don't have that greater than the grand scheme of things sense of accomplishment, which, after today, I strive for. 

With a passion for writing, I found myself asking how do I get this FLOW?  And, I think I have the answer.  Just as the shepherd learns he has always known the path to take from his internal voice in Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist (the best book ever, btw and the book that my friend read a passage from at my wedding), I think I've always known what it will take and what I was meant to do and I think it will give me that FLOW.  Yes, I have a project I've been wanting to do for a long time and I think I'm ready to do it.  It won't be easy and it will take a long time, I fear, but the outcome has the potential to be incredible.  FLOW, here I come!  And, just because it's stuck in my head, here's a little word from Naughty by Nature: