The Problem Solving Philosophy
Friday Night Lights
It was the fourth quarter. There were 5 minutes left on the clock. I was exhausted. I looked into the packed stands of my high school and took it all in. I was a starting defensive end on my high school football team, and I was well known. I paced the sideline. This was a big rivalry game, and we were just barely holding onto the lead. All of the sudden there was an uproar -I looked up to see an opposing team member scoop up a fumble with nothing but open field between him and the goal line. My adrenaline spiked. I began shouting with anger and running down the sideline, screaming for someone to stop him. No one did. He scored.
In that moment, I vividly remember time seeming to slow down for me as I turned around, and watched the scoreboard tick away our lead. I was known for inspiring and rallying the team. In moments like this before, I would have been filled with anger at the offense, and expressed that openly. For some reason, though, this moment was different. I don’t know if it was my exhaustion, the energy of the crowd, or some pixie dust in the wind, but when I watched the scoreboard tick down, I began to feel euphoric. I was overcome with energy and emotion. A smile crept over my face. I had the realization that without this -without the very real prospect of losing- the game would lose its meaning. In being given the opportunity to overcome a true challenge, I found meaning. I got chills. As I got ready to rally my defense, I began screaming “THIS IS WHAT WE LIVE FOR!!!” as I jumped up and down and rallied the crowd, and the rest of my team. That energy was infectious. We now had an opportunity and a challenge before us, and together, with the right attitude, we could conquer it.
In that moment, I began to experience for the first time in my life what I now know as “flow state”. My breathing slowed. My pace calmed. The noise of the crowd dulled. I very vividly remember the feeling. It was an overwhelming calm and focus that I had never felt before. Amidst the chaos, I could clearly see the desired outcome, and I was grateful for the opportunity to experience such an intense moment -win, lose or draw.
I honestly don’t remember what the outcome of that game was. I do, however, remember that feeling. The experience of flow state changed me. In it, I realized a whole new arena of human potential. I realized that the problems we face are never external because we can always have an influence on how we respond to them. The only problem we truly face, then, is internal. The problem is in overcoming our fear of the problem. The only thing we have to fear is… I’m all about quotes, it you haven’t picked up on that yet…
Ever since that moment in high school, I have deliberately sought out experiences that allow me to tap into that flow state. I believe that the flow state opens my mind to see the world differently, and that it gives me access to new solutions that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen. Through the blog on this website, I will explain, in detail, the experiences I have had that have brought about flow state in my life. My goal is to inspire others to seek out their own flow state and to realize their unique potential to solve problems in ways that no one else can see.
Some of the arenas that have allowed me to tap into my flow state have been competitive skydiving, BASE jumping, competitive collegiate boxing, military flying, rock climbing and mountaineering, and extreme distance running. In summary, I find my flow state through intense living. Living Intense. I hope that in sharing my own experiences, you can take away something positive that you can apply to your own life.
-Derek