On this episode of This Magic Life, one of the world’s leading experts on human performance shares his journey from being diagnosed with a devastating and debilitating disease to healing himself, becoming a NYT bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize nominee (3 times!), and host of the successful Flow Radio podcast.

Andrea is joined by Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler, for a powerful conversation about the incredibly serendipitous journey he’s been on since being diagnosed with Lyme disease in his late 20’s and spending the following 3 years completely functionless, confined to his bed, and seriously contemplating suicide.

Listen to the full episode to hear how a good friend convincing Steven to get on a surfboard for the first time in 5 years saved his life, leading him to drop into a state of consciousness experience known as ‘flow’ that would completely redirect the future of his life and career.

Plus, Steven shares exactly how to train yourself to reach your own flow states for maximum creativity and concentration, fascinating research on how flow states correlate with mental health, and 3 steps students (and everyone else!) can use to get in flow and stay in flow.

Tune in to the next episode of This Magic Life on July 10th to hear Dr. James Doty, a Stanford University clinical professor of neurosurgery, founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research, and bestselling author reveals the neuroscience and step by step guide to manifesting your wildest dreams.

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In this episode, you'll discover:

• 02:38 The definition of ‘flow’ and how it can open you up to incredible opportunities.

• 05:01 How Andrea was inspired to create This Magic Life.

• 08:01 How surfing and Lyme disease intersected to serendipitously change Steven’s life.

• 14:11 What happens in the body as it transitions into a flow state.

• 16:20 Gold-standard research on the relationship between flow and mental health.

• 21:32 The experience that sparked Steven’s career in neurobiology.

• 24:00 Steven’s top tips to get into deeper flow more quickly and easily.

• 25:30 Steven shares his #1 “golden rule” of flow.

• 28:26 How to stop beating yourself up for procrastinating.

• 30:38 Three steps for students to get into a flow state.

• 37:30 The power of changing your mindset to one of continuous improvement.

• 39:43 The role intuition plays in reaching and maintaining flow.

• 44:15 Why you need both a to-do list and higher, multi-year goals.

• 48:56 What listeners can do right now to experience more magic and serendipity in their lives.

• 50:43 Steven’s (practical!) secret to his incredible career magic.

Resources to go deeper:

• Follow Steven on Instagram

• Buy Steven’s latest book

• Listen to the Flow Radio Podcast

• Visit Steven’s website

• Train in flow with Steven