"Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience"

I was first introduced to the ideas of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi last year while reading a magazine article on happiness. I finally read his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Flow "is the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter." The process itself provides enjoyment. Csikszentmihalyi developed a theory on the optimal experience based on the concept of flow. He argues that there are several requirements needed to create an optimal experience: it must be challenging and require skill, involve a great deal of focus, provide clear goals and feedback, initiate a loss of self-consciousness, and transform time.

Csikzsentmihalyi goes on to explain that since the optimal experience depends on the capacity to control what occurs in our consciousness we all have the ability to achieve flow and therefore create happiness at anytime. "Attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience" because it determines what appears in our consciousness. He labels attention psychic energy and explains that "we create ourselves by how we invest this energy." Any information that enters our consciousness will be interpreted and evaluated. If it conflicts with our intentions it will create psychic entropy or disorder in our consciousness - i.e: fear, anxiety, anger, or jealousy. If it reinforces our aims order is maintained and psychic energy is not wasted because there is "no threat for the self to defend against."

In his research on the conditions of flow, Csikszentmihalyi found that every flow experience "provided a sense of discovery...and pushed the person to higher levels of performance. It transformed the self by making it more complex." This growth of the self is the key to flow. The following diagram demonstrates this process. When you learn a new sport or activity you will engage in flow because the challenge matches your novice skill level (A1). If you keep practicing and introduce new challenges you will maintain flow (A4). However when we aren't challenged we become bored (A2) and when we don't practice to develop skills new challenges will create anxiety (A3). Notice that A1 and A4 are both flow, yet are quite different because A4 is a more complex experience as it involves greater challenges and skills.

We can create flow in any experience in any aspect of our lives. There are literally thousands of opportunities to expand ourselves physically, mentally, at work, with family or friends, and when we are alone. The formula for flow is constant. Any experience can be transformed at will because it is the result of our channeled attention. The irony is that despite the astounding number of opportunities within our reach, "most of us go on being bored and vaguely frustrated." New challenges are avoided and inner discipline suffers.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience is well written and researched by Csikszentmihalyi and his staff. The concept of flow is relatively simple but can be applied to every facet of our lives. I thoroughly enjoyed Flow. As a result, I highly recommended that you read this book. I look forward to reading more books by Csikszentmihalyi.

"Amnesty International After 50 Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward"

On March 4th, nearly a hundred people came out to hear Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada, Alex Neve, discuss the past and future of the movement. Neve began in 1961 where Peter Benenson sat on a bench in London reading that two Portuguese citizens had been jailed for giving a toast to freedom. Beyond rage, Benenson decided that there must be a way to bring our voices together and channel our anger to make a difference. This idea began as a short appeal but soon launched into a worldwide movement.

"Do we celebrate this anniversary?" asked Neve. When we look at all that has gone wrong how can we celebrate? From ethnic cleansing in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, militant dictatorship in Chile, Apartheid in South Africa, and the effects of the Cold War it clearly has been a long, hard half century of human rights suffering.

In the fiftieth anniversary there is a lot to to hang our heads in shame and grieve. But there is also a great deal to celebrate. Human rights has come a long way since Benenson's time:

• There is "an impressive machinery of human rights instruments" - global webs of treaties, codes, tribunals, and conventions in place to protect individuals and groups.
  
• Three of the past five United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights have been women.
  
• The establishment of the International Criminal Court in 2002
  
• Dozens of African countries have been freed from colonial rule and the end of Apartheid in South Africa.
  
• Democratization of former dictatorial countries - Chile, Philippines, Portugal...
  
• An estimated 44,000 individuals have been freed from prison and/or torture worldwide.
  

Nonetheless, Neve argued that the "most glorious human rights achievement" in the last fifty years has been the mobilization of millions of people lobbying, organizing, and fighting for the rights of all. There are currently 2.8 - 3 million Amnesty members globally.

Neve then delved into Canada's role in all of this. Canada has an enviable human rights record which is a source of our pride. Our nation has shown tremendous leadership from John Humphrey who drafted the UN Declaration on Human Rights, to Louise Arbour a former UN Commissioner for Human Rights, to Lester B. Pearson who won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for arranging the UN Emergency Force to settle the Suez Canal Crisis.

Recently, however, Canada has been coming up short in several areas. The failure to protect Omar Khadr, women's rights, Aboriginal rights (see Shameful Chapter in Canadian History - September 2009), our refusal to recognize water as a human right, the mishandling of Afghan prisoners, Canada's pro-Israel approach to the crisis in Egypt, and the inadequancy of regulating the conduct of Canadian businesses abroad.

So today we stand at a crossroads in a world much better and much different that Benenson's. We are often reminded that human rights are fragile and "it is crucial that we stand ready to act." There are still many issues that require our energy and attention. Just remember "Your voice matters."