4.4 - Bliss and Flow
In the previous segment, we saw the woman at the well rethink her paradigms about God's location and Christ's identity. In this week's segment, we will see what she did with this new information. Also, John will point out what the disciples did not do in this awkward situation.
“I’m Just Not Good with Names.”
But before that, I must admit that this process has again shown me how much I do not know. Until today, I did not know the "Samaritan woman" or "woman at the well" had a name. I have felt uncomfortable using these epithets for her and almost suggested that we make up a name, only to find out she has a name.
I also learned that psychologists call this position of knowing that you do not know part of the Dunning–Kruger effect. There are four parts, as follows:
Unconscious incompetence is when you don't know what you don't know.
Conscious incompetence is when you know what you don't know but haven't yet learned it.
Conscious competence is when you're gaining knowledge.
Unconscious competence is when you've mastered something.
I want to continually move from conscious incompetence through conscious competence into unconscious confidence. Twenty-seven centuries before, Lao Tzu said, “To know that you do not know is the best. To think you know when you do not is a disease. Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.”
Back to the name. The Greeks call her PHOTINA, which means "enlightened one." She is a saint in the Greek Orthodox tradition.
Watch What Happens
As we return to our story, John lets us see just how far outside the lines Jesus is willing to color.
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” No one said it, but they were all thinking it; otherwise, why would John mention it here? Could the disciples have learned to expect unorthodox behavior from Jesus, or had this "woman at the well" situation occurred before? Either way, they chose not to act. This information produced inaction.
28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.A Time to Act and Not Act
For Photina, her new information produced action, which caused a reaction from her people. As Solomon said, “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” John is showing me that there is a time when your information should be converted into action and a time for inaction. Knowing the difference requires a seasoned inner life.
I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I tend to act too hastily. I start reading a new book even before finishing the current one or hastily write the next segment of a blog without fully grasping the insights from the previous one. At other times, I tend to overthink things and get stuck in analysis paralysis. The solution to this problem is to cultivate a seasoned and reflective inner life.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Find Your Bliss or State of Flow
To get a real sense of what Jesus meant, let's review what he did. He sat down by the well, tired, hot, and hungry. Instead of focusing on his lousy circumstances, he focused on gratitude for the well of his forefathers. He began to see its comparison with the spirit within himself, flowing up and giving life. He shared this with Photina and what he sensed in his spirit about her personal life. He was correct; she was astounded! She acted immediately; Jesus was no longer hungry, hot, or tired.
Jesus was experiencing what Joseph Campbell called Bliss, and psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Me-high Chick-sent-me-high) called the state of flow. Let's look at both.
Campbell said, ”If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.
Csíkszentmihályi called “Flow” a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. In sports, it’s known as being in the zone or in music, in the groove. It is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, where the person is fully immersed in what they are doing. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored.
According to the website calm.com, “ Imagine a writer sitting at their desk to work on their novel. They become so engrossed in their work that they don't notice the hours passing by. They’re fully immersed in shaping their characters and plot, forgetting about their surroundings, worries, and even their sense of self. This person is in a flow state.”
Those who operate from a spiritual consciousness recognize this state of Bliss or Flow as vital to their growth. John Maxwell referred to this as “sensing the approval of the Father.” It's what Jesus meant when he said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” He had discerned what he was to do while in silence by the well, and he did it. As the woman left her jar and hustled toward town, I imagine Jesus heard a silent "Well done.” He had repeated this method over and over until it had become the pattern of his life.
John hopes we will see this pattern woven between his narrative lines, like an almost imperceptible bass note running underneath a tune. Jesus wants us to know this peace that passes understanding, this flow, this bliss, when we "just know that we know that we know" that we are doing the right thing at the right time. This spiritual satisfaction can serve as a discernible marker on our spiritual path.
How Do I Find My Bliss
How does one find this bliss and learn to operate in a flow state? We incorporate his pattern into our lives: (1) spend time in silence, (2) discern what we are to do, (3) do it, and (4) watch for that sense of satisfaction. As a word of warning, step (1) is what tripped me up for years. I would not spend some time in silence. Unfortunately, it is a mandatory prerequisite. It’s what David Whyte called “the first thing close in, the step you don’t want to take.”
Joseph Campbell put it in the form of practical advice in a conversation with Bill Moyers. “Sacred space is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”
In my experience, setting aside a specific place and time helps create a "sacred space" within ourselves. This allows the eternal spirit to flow through our consciousness and creativity, utilizing our unique circumstances and talents to find work that feels like bliss. Without intentionally creating this particular space and time, it's unlikely that we will ever find ourselves in the spiritual “state of flow.”
This is simple but not easy. By the time most of us experience this hunger for our genuine work, we are already involved in a career that dictates our place and most of our time. It's as if we awaken to find ourselves dancing to the world's tune and we’re just an item on someone else's agenda.
A Personal Example
At age 39, during one of these quiet times, I heard the spirit whisper, "Do the fundamentals." In doing so, my course was corrected to one that is still making a difference, but that's a story for another day. Remember, the Spirit is outside of time and will come to do its magic when and where it is welcomed. Why not try it?
After setting aside space and time, we will discover that sacred space within ourselves, regardless of where we are. In John's example, Jesus created that space beside a well in the hot midday sun. He was experienced in doing this. I know we like to think of Jesus with special superhero powers, but it's easy to imagine that between the ages of 12 and 30, he trained by creating space and time to develop his unique skills and find his true work.
Let's continue. Jesus says,
35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Life is essentially a team sport, even if it is derived from our individual spirit. Although we may discover our true calling in solitude, we'll likely perform our roles as part of a team, like an instrument in an orchestra or a player on a squad. Each of us is unique with a distinctive set of skills that determines the best position for us to play.
“One of the great theological inherited understandings about an everyday human life is that it is absolutely, completely, and totally, and utterly unique. ”
Every position on a team has particular responsibilities, but we all share a sense of fulfillment (Bliss or Flow) when we achieve our goals together.
Key Takeaways
To know that “you do not know” is the best way to continue learning.
My inner life will always require more work, but it's worth it.
There is bliss, a state of flow that comes from operating from your center or inner life.
The first step in developing my inner life is nonnegotiable: creating a time and space for silence.
Life is a team sport, and we each have a particular role to play that uses our unique skills and talents.
