The best description is based on Plato’s quote in Philebus: “The young man who has drunk for the first time from that spring is as happy as if he had found a treasure of wisdom; he is positively enraptured. He will pick up any discourse, draw all its ideas together to make them into one, then take them apart and pull them to pieces, He will puzzle first himself, then also others, badger whoever comes hear him, young and old, sparing not even his parents, nor anyone who is willing to listen…”

Today marks the beginning of the second half of my 12-month period since my book publication in Sep-14.
I thought it may be a good time to take stock.
a) Copies of book sold = 257 (12-month target of 1,000 with 6 more months to go. It is going to be a tough one.)
b) Countries where copies sold = 6 (U.K., U.S., Canada, France, Germany & China)
c) Amazon reviews received (US & UK sites) = 12
d) Blogs published = 162 (including this very one)
e) Twitter followers = 1,313 with 1,986 tweets (including retweets)

The second half will be accompanied by the arrival of spring and summer.
Cheer up and keep it up!

Today I went to a friend’s 30’s birthday lunch party. Not to “steal her thunder” (which I admit I do have a tendency of doing that to other people :>), I kept the promotion of my book to the very bare minimum. I only gave an “elevator” pitch of my book to everyone at the lunch table when her boyfriend publicly praised my book. To top it off, another friend who happened to sit next to me at the lunch table told me with a straight face that she found my book useful. She is someone that only offers compliments when she really means it. For that, I was more than pleased.

The sale of my book is important, but honest feedback and affirmation mean the world to me.

On the subject of how our body experiences flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly suggested (p.97, Flow):
“Even the simplest physical act becomes enjoyable when it is transformed so as to produce flow. The essentials steps in this process are:
(a) to set an overall goal, and as many subgoals as are realistically feasible;
(b) to find ways to measuring progress in terms of goals chosen;
(c) to keep concentrating on what one is doing, and to keep making finer and finer distinctions in the challenges involved in the activity;
(d) to develop the skills necessary to interact with the opportunities available;
(e) to keep raising the stakes if the activity becomes boring.”

To paraphrase the optimal family situations for more “flow-inclined” children (p.89 & 93, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly), it is a family that facilitates and encourages the following elements.
1) Clarity of goals
2) Providing feedback
3) Feeling of control
4) Concentration and focus
5) Intrinsic motivation
6) Challenges
However, to conclude, Milhay added “Some people are born with a more focused and flexible neurological endowment, or are fortunate to have had parents who promoted unselfconscious individuality. But it is an ability open to cultivation, a skill one can perfect through training and discipline.” In short, having good upbringing is helpful but one can also make up for it later in life.

I went to a café last week with my French colleague and the staff asked him if he is French and added he could tell by his accent. My colleague was furious and thought the staff was rude picking on his accent.
I told him not to get upset for 2 reasons:
First, I had a different theory. I think pointing out the accent may be a way for people to start a conversation (though it may not be a very sensitive way as some people are upset about it). When I travel to another country, some shopkeepers usually start saying “hello” to be either in Japanese or Mandarin (neither of them is my mother tongue which is Cantonese) even before I open my mouth. I doubt if they wanted to offend me because they did want me to make a purchase. Therefore, I think some people do try to make a connection by saying “Hello” in what they thought was your native language or asking where you are from.
Second, everyone speaks with an accent. For example, in the U.S., there are Texas, New York, Bronx, Brooklyn and California accents while in the U.K. there are Liverpool, Oxbridge, Essex and Cockney accents to name a few. I agree that communication needs to clear but there should not be a social hierarchy related to one’s accent. One should not feel inferior because he/she speaks with a foreign accent and the native speakers should not feel superior because of their mother tongue.
My humble advice:
For speakers:
1) Speak slowly and clearly.
2) Articulate more.
3) Don’t lose confidence which will worsen your speech.
4) It takes two parties to establish a successful communication. Don’t assume it is your fault that the listener did not understand you.
For listeners:
1) Have patience and make an effort to understand.
2) Don’t switch off automatically because the speaker has an accent different from yours.
3) Clarify and confirm your understanding.
4) Appreciate the speaker making an effort to speak your native language. Imagine the reverse.

To paraphrase the eight major component of enjoyment defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly (p.49 of his book Flow).
1) We have a chance of completing those tasks.
2) We must be able to concentrate on what we are doing.
3) The task has clear goals.
4) The task provides immediate feedback
5) We act with a deep but effortless involvement that removes worries and frustrations of our daily life from our awareness.
6) The task allows us to exercise a sense of control over our actions.
7) Loss of self-consciousness.
8) The sense of duration of time is altered; hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch out to feel like hours.

“Pleasure is a feeling of contentment that one achieves whenever information in consciousness says that expectations set by biological programs or by social conditioning have been met.”

“Enjoyment is characterized by this forward movement: by a sense of novelty, of accomplishment” (p.45-46, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly)

Continuing on the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, the author provided some interesting aspects of happiness (p.2-3)

“Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy”

“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

A bit intellectual, but it is food for thought.

Happy Chinese New Year to All!

Wish the year of the Sheep/Goat/Ram will bring you joy, peace, love, good health and happiness :>