💧Vital Flow

How Spirituality Can Optimize Performance

Igauzu Falls, Argentina

Purpose Protects Your Brain Podcast

I experienced a state of flow during my Stanford Vitality & Performance Optimization course last week. This elevated state of being was the unexpected byproduct of a terrific discussion about believing in something bigger than ourselves.

Nicole Newell, a Stanford Chaplain Resident with a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, guided the class through a wonderful 90-minute spiritual journey. She began by exploring the power of awe. These are moments of wonder sparked by a walk in nature, a deep conversation or a spiritual experience. A central theme about awe emerged when she discussed it with the students. Awe inspires us, fosters greater meaning and enhances our resilience.

She also shared lessons from caring for dying patients. She emphasized how spirituality helps us navigate uncertainty, grief and mortality. One of the strongest lessons from end-of-life care was meaning and connection matter much more than achievement in person’s final days. She emphasized relationships are the greatest predictor of peace at the end of life.

Four phrases repeatedly emerged as essential for closure:

• Thank You.

• I Love You.

• I’m Sorry.

• I Forgive You.

These four lines come from a traditional Hawaiian practice called Hoʻoponopono. They are phrases we should consider not just on our death beds but during every day of our lives.

We then explored why spirituality can improve outcomes by inducing a state of flow. These are periods of deep immersion when time fades and performance peaks. Spirituality at its core is a personal search for meaning, connection, and purpose. This pursuit can create a calmer and more focused mind. This increases the likelihood of entering a flow state.

Optimizing our chances of experiencing flow also requires deliberate effort to improve all our of our vitality parameters. The goal is to increase the likelihood of living well and ultimately dying well. The class was in a collective state of flow at the end of the discussion. I’ve never seen a set of students so engaged in my many years as an orthopedic surgeon and professor at Stanford.

I crave more moments like the one we had last week in class. It inspires me to work on the crucial components of vitality. Each of them has the potential to increase our chances of getting into a state of flow. Below are some concepts to consider if you wish to level up your life:

• Make Every Moment Count. Be ruthless with your time. Design your days intentionally to support stretches of focused effort on what matters most to you.

• Double Down on Discipline. Remember, consistency crushes complexity. Focus on executing even if it just a little bit every day.

• Pinpoint Your Peak Purpose. Identifying a clear life purpose help us sustain our attention and effort.

• Consider Sleep a Superpower. It is the foundation of your overall health and flow potential.

• Cultivate Closeness and Spark Hope. These can strengthen your social vitality leading to living a longer and better life with more flow.

Flow isn’t some magical state of being. It is more likely to emerge when we dedicate our time and energy to enhancing our vitality.

Please post your comments below and please share this post with someone today to increase their chances of entering a flow state.

References:

“The Four Things that Matter Most” by Dr. Ira Byock.

Copyright, VyVerse, LLC. All Rights Reserved.