C.S. Lewis, Cats, and the Power of Imagination

Flow is the result of imagination - getting a clear picture in your mind of where you want to be.

In his book The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle tells a story about his cat teaching him the wisdom of flow state.

Picture a cat in front of a tall fence with a clear intention to leap over it. The cat gazes up, then down, then around.

For a moment, it appears to have lost all interest in jumping. However, in a sudden shift, its ears perk up, and it refocuses its attention on the fence. One can't help but wonder if the cat will make it, considering the height of the fence.

To an observer, the fence seems insurmountable. Yet, before you know it, the cat's body tightens up in a knot, and you can sense the energy accumulating within it. You might wonder where this energy comes from.

The cat's gaze remains fixed on the top of the fence as if it can already SEE itself perched up there. Its paws shuffle back and forth for a moment or two, and then, with remarkable grace, it propels itself into the air, landing precisely where it aimed to be.

What unfolds inside the cat during these moments? You can almost feel a sudden surge of energy pulsating within this agile body. It's as though the cat had already ENVISIONED itself on top of the fence before taking any action.

Where does this wellspring of energy come from? The cat simply projected itself to its desired destination. It envisioned itself as if it were ALREADY there. At that moment, it became one with its goal.

Flow is the result of imagination - getting a clear picture in your mind of where you want to be.

What a wise man once told me

A wise man once said to me, “You are lucky to be a translator. You can always play with words.” I was surprised. I told him that at times my work felt like drudgery.

He replied, “You still have a choice in the matter. You can always choose to play or to toil.”

The ancient Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu told a parable of an archer who had an intense desire to win. Initially, he engaged in archery purely for the enjoyment of it and rarely missed his mark. However, when someone offered him a reward, a simple brass buckle, he began to experience anxiety.

After that, he was offered a piece of gold, and he lost his ability to see clearly. His skill remained unchanged, but the allure of the prize had divided his attention. His primary concern had shifted from shooting to the pursuit of victory. In this shift, his fixation on winning drained him of his inherent powers.

If I start my day with the thought, "I must complete this task by 5 pm," my attention is fixed on the outcome. This mindset splits me in two. It prevents me from being fully engaged in the present moment. When I fixate on the end goal instead of the immediate experience, it saps my vitality and vigor.

Yet, if I release the "need to win," I become carefree. There’s no tension in my mind and body, and the process starts to gradually pull me in. My focus realigns to what's happening right in front of me.

I get centered. The emphasis shifts away from the compulsion to win; instead, I merge seamlessly with the task at hand.

If I maintain this mindset long enough, I eventually come to a point where suddenly I feel a surge of energy. At that moment, I feel ONE with where I want to be. There’s no need to go anywhere. It’s all right here right now. And then... a leap.

C. S. Lewis claimed that Narnia began with an image he got in his head as a teenager - it was an image of a faun standing in the snow and holding an umbrella and parcels. In a flash of imagination, C.S. Lewis knew what his story would be about.

Like a cat in front of the fence, he SAW it before he DID it.

That image later became Mr. Tumnus and turned into the story of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.