Flow, Control, and Relaxation: The Three Faces of Mindcoolness

On our journey as men, we seek to develop mindcoolness, based on the skill of bodymind dominance, mind liberation, and elimination of useless thoughts. As we take out our mental trash, we cool our minds. And depending on the challenges we face in life, our mind-cooling skills take on different shapes.

1. Flow

Flow is the state in which you are highly focused, highly energized, and completely “in the zone.” In a flow state, you reach peak performance with ease. Your hard work comes to life—becomes life—because no negative thoughts, no worries, no anxieties afflict your mind.

Whether your work is economic, creative, or athletic, a mind-cooled flow is what you want to experience. Typically, though, only discipline will grant you this experience.

How to enter a flow state:

1. Master the basics of your craft/sport.
2. Challenge yourself in that craft/sport.
3. Eliminate distractors to enhance your focus.
4. Discipline your will to get going every day anew.

Reversal: If you do not manage to cool your mind, your hard work will be shallow and perturbed by anxiety. Your focus will be effortful, your performance mediocre, and your creativity and productivity will suffer.

2. Relaxation

The second aspect, relaxation, should be self-explanatory. After a day of hard work and intense focus, you need to unwind and recharge. In a relaxation state, you connect to pure life with no negative thoughts, no ruminations, no anxieties plaguing your mind.

Whether you meditate, go for a walk, stretch your muscles, hit a heavy bag, or listen to music, a mind-cooled relaxation is what you want to experience. To gain that experience, you must minimize external stimulation (most importantly, turn off your phone, computer, and television).

Reversal: If you do not manage to cool your mind, you will stay agitated until you develop an apathetic depression. Your long-term purposes will fail and your well-being will suffer.

3. Control

Control, the third face of mindfulness, is what you want as the baseline state of your day. You cannot be in flow mode every waking hour, you cannot work or train 24/7. Nor can you be in relaxation mode all day long. And the switch between the two is analogue, not digital: it does not happen instantly, but gradually. While you transition between hustling and chilling, you want to stay in control. Likewise, when you do neither, you want to retain control. In a control state, you are eminently considerate of your True Will, which gives your life a positive direction.

Whether you socialize, prepare for work, come home from training, or do chores, a mind-cooled control is what you want to have. It makes you stay mindful and true to yourself, shielding you against weakness and helping you to resist temptation.

Reversal: If you do not manage to cool your mind, your self-control will be unstable. You will choose instant gratification and develop bad habits. Your inner turmoil will taint the quality of your life and your relationships with people will suffer.

Further Reading

• What Is Mindcoolness? Pride, Love, and Will
• How to Live Your Life: On the Glory of Flow
• Searching for the Perfect Masculine State of Being
• What Is the Difference Between Mindcoolness and Mindfulness?
• Flow Is Life and Freedom Through Strength