Clearing the mind and finding true focus are just two of the advantages that readers can take away from “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Much of this author’s work centers on happiness, including his concept of “flow,” which he defines in the book. You cannot control what happens around you every day, he stresses, but you can learn to manage and process your inner thoughts and feelings better. In this book, you will learn how to enter a state of flow at will to help you achieve more happiness.

This idea, which people sometimes refer to as being “in the zone,” is often understood in the context of athletics. However, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi reveals how you can achieve this state of being in many other aspects of your life. Whether at work or play, you can gain much more satisfaction if you can master flow. The author supports these claims with a lot of research and compelling arguments. By exploring how each person deals with work, stress, chaos, and society, the book outlines all the methods that can help you stay in the moment and be happy. A primary focus lies in how inner fulfillment often leads to external achievement.

As a foremost expert in this field of psychology, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi calls out the many incorrect assumptions that society makes about happiness. Much of the book focuses on disproving these notions. He also covers how parents can instill the principles of flow in their children from an early age. Providing challenging yet completable goals for your kids can help eliminate some of the angst with which teenagers often wrestle. Then, flow can guide those teens into adulthood with healthy expectations and relationships. From sports arenas to boardrooms and even bedrooms, this philosophy continues to change lives.