The art of being

I am right now reading Stephen Batchelors book "Alone With Others", and in it he stresses the difference between Having and Being. The Western world is obsessed with Having, ownership of things or even our own lives. The Eastern worlds philosophy though, is about being. 

I know a friend of mine use to say that according to the Frankfurt school (whatever that means, I am not sure), the Western world is more about becoming than being. What that means, is that we never focus on being in the now, but focus on what we are to become later. 

So according to these two different observations of our Western culture, we are all about owning and eventually become something. To me, these are very accurate descriptions of what my life has been about for a very long time. That is about to change though. 

When I went to University, I studied Literature and Religion. First I studied these subjects, cause I was really interested in them. Eventually I started to realize that I was actually studying to sort of collect information and store it, to become something, and own that information. Not to live it. To be honest, when you are getting an education, let´s say to become an engineer, probably half of the stuff you learn will you never use again after you finish your degree. 

My intention was to get a Ph D, and eventually become a professor in either literature or religious studies. I was all about becoming. All about having a title or a specific position. 

I gave that up, and became a bar manager instead. Some people say I was the best bartender the little town had ever had. I appreciate those comments, however they are wrong. I was probably the worst bartender the little town ever had, cause bartending is about making good coctails and stuff for people, which I am terrible at. But I was a very good peoples person, and I still am. To me, my role was never about mixing drinks. It was about pouring a good beer and keep people chatting. And so I did, quite well even.  That was the first time I wasn´t eager to become a bartender.  I wasn´t eager to own that title. 

Bars are all about late nights and drunk people though. My main interest has always been about coffee. And coffee is about mornings and sober people. So I wanted to pursue a career where I could be in the coffeebusiness, and constantly learn about coffee. My boss just returned from a course in Vermont, US. To me, his knowledge is very wide. His greatest discovery at this course was that he has so much more to learn. That is a great discovery! It´s like knowing what you are going to do, each and every day, but still be able to progress. A great ride, indeed! 

I have also noticed how I have developed a fascination for three other great joys that are about being; photography, capoeira and yoga. They all hold the same qualities as the coffee business. The same ride, but different vehicles. 

These activities all create something scientists call flow. It is a feeling of being completely one with an activity, something that demands full attention from you and at the same time give that sense of challenge that is so important for us to stay focused and wanting to have more of that emotion. 

Flow is definitely about being. It happens now, it´s not something you can become, it´s not something you can own, cause it might be gone as soon as you realize you are in it, as soon as you start to self reflect on it. 

Where do you find flow in you every day life?