In the flow
Watching my Purdue Boilermakers claw their way into the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament today, I thought of their seniors, getting to play at least one more game, hopefully more. The pull to keep playing after this March will be fierce… even if it is in some European league far from home and the bright lights.
Basketball was the most important thing in my life growing up. It became the place where I could live “in the flow”. That mix of challenge and developing skill where the rest of the world disappeared. While on the court, there was only basketball. Strategy and conscious thought still existed, but it would be incorporated into a more automatic action/reaction flow. Combining personal skill with team skill, knowing where your teammate would be, and what he would be doing, without having to think. Cutting to the basket, knowing a beautiful pass was coming your way, one you just had to catch and score with to complete the magic.
Athletes have so much trouble giving up their sport. Partly because of the money, the attention, the fame… but the opportunity to live “in the flow” is where the huge power resides.
You can live in the flow elsewhere. Until the last few years, I found it routinely at work, when contributing strongly to a successful business, developing teams, helping people learn and grow. Also, I found it coaching, teaching, and raising a family.
Writing is where I was once able to live in the flow, many years ago. It won’t be easy to get back there, but it’s not too late.
