Finding Flow

Pleasure versus enjoyment… What is the difference in these two emotions? Pleasure is defined as the positive feeling when we take part in the simplest requirements for survival, according to Csikszentimihalyi. Enjoyment, on the other hand, is the exhilaration we feel when we go above and beyond those certain requirements. Although pleasure gives us motivation, it does not produce change. It makes us yearn for what gives us comfort and relaxation. Motivation, conversely, provides us with a craving for material possessions that suit our needs.
Why has society turned to material possessions for an enhanced quality of life? It is the mere scarcity and perceived value that turns consumers on to this popular trend. Also the tangibility of material possessions makes them seem more authentic and bona fide than having abstract and meaningful goals in life. People do not realize that these material possessions will only provide them with temporary satisfaction. Basically, the exhilarating emotion they provide at first will only be transitory. This leads to a vicious cycle of buying more and more products to comfort us and soothe our anxiety.
It is okay for material possessions to give us pleasure, but when it is the only thing that can make one happy, we face a serious dilemma. Sure a new car can make us happy but when we need a new car to fulfill an empty and bottomless desire we have inside is when we need to find a deeper meaning and reason for living. Material possessions become a “drug” for some people, providing a quick fix for their craving which eventually leads them to becoming burnt out and worse off than they were in the first place.
Instead, people need goals that build character and make life worthwhile. There are plenty of meaningful and enriching activities that encourage future positive goals as well. We need to nourish and care for ourselves and provide us with satisfaction that is lasting instead of fleeting.
Instant gratification cannot come soon enough for people in today’s society. Having rewards delayed makes things so much more worthwhile for people. Although a long term goal may take more intellect and hard work, it reaps more benefits and gratification in the long run.
Csikszentimihalyi, a clinical research psychologist, has spent decades researching flow, or the mental state in which a person is fully immersed in the activity that he or she is focusing on. When experiencing flow, people obtain a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in such activities.