When Was The Last Time “You were Flying”?

Yesterday, I was heading to a city for a work. I had an hour to cover about 80 kms. Being an F1 car racing fan, my first instinct was obvious: to throttle the car and wish for no traffic on highway. Being three-lane one-way, it was all go. With empty seats there was none to check on speed. (Thanks to my busy wife and family. )

The speedometer started to increase 90, 100 , 110, 120, 130, 140… Car electronics cautioned with a beep. But by then, I was in “He is Flying Mode”.

I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t worried about crashing. I wasn’t even separate from the car. For those moments, I was the car. There was no destination, no fear only pure attention, flowing without effort. Even Death may feel bliss in that moment. There is no “me” trying to focus, only attention itself, flowing without division. This is why it feels weightless why it feels like flying.

Words fall short to describe but here is cinematic feel of same.

Lessons on Attention and Flow from F1 the Movie

Inspired by F1 the Movie the phrase he is flying is more than just a cinematic cheer. It’s a metaphor for what psychologists call flow, the state where attention becomes razor-sharp and everything else fades into the background.

There’s a moment in movie the that freezes in your mind: the protagonist gripping the steering, the engine roaring , and the announcer whispering “He is flying!” It’s not about wings or skies, but about entering a state where speed, precision, and instinct melt into one.

Go watch the movie, it is not about cinematic racing actually but about life.

Past Flying Moments:

It wasn’t about the size of the achievement, but the state of being. You’ll loose the feel of time cos of power of attention leads to flow state. It may happen to you while teaching, coding, driving, dancing, playing, singing, photography, cleaning, anything with full attention.

That’s why it feels like flying. The car is on the ground, but the mind is soaring.

You may get lost in experiencing that. I have experienced it lot of times.

While Coding:

I had a similar experience in 2019 while working on an IoT project connecting a Raspberry Pi and Arduino. I remember diving so deeply into the code that time dissolved. Hours slipped by unnoticed, and when I finally looked up, it was 3 a.m. That moment of triumph just seeing a small output on the screen felt like winning a race.

While Teaching:

This happened in 2017 where I was engaging an introductory class on computers. Things started to flow out. I glimpsed entire syllabus in just one class. Students were so impressed by the end, they clapped as if I gave a dance performance. Contemplating post class , I too was like “How did that even happen?”

The Power of Attention

Attention is like the steering wheel of the mind. Wherever it turns, energy flows.

On the racing track, the driver’s focus is absolute. Tires gripping the asphalt, timing the next corner, adjusting the throttle by a fraction of a second. The distractions like crowd cheer, stakes of winning dissolve.

In everyday life, most of us scatter our attention: half scrolling, half listening, half working. No wonder we rarely fly. Fragmented attention is weak; focused attention becomes fuel.

As Jiddu Krishnamurti often emphasized, true attention is not about control or discipline it is choiceless awareness. He said, “To pay attention means to be sensitive to everything, to every thought, every mood, every word, every feeling; it is to be completely aware of the whole movement of life.”

Flow: The Invisible Wings

Flow happens when challenge and skill meet at just the right level. Flow happens at the edge when skill and challenge balance perfectly. Not too easy (boring), not too hard (overwhelming).

In our lives, we may experience this during coding, painting, running, writing those moments when minutes vanish and we look up surprised that hours have passed. Flow is not about speed; it’s about immersion.

That’s why racers, coders, musicians, and writers experience it. Time bends, ego fades, and action flows seamlessly into action.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of book flow who pioneered research on this phenomenon, described flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one.”

Become the Doing

This is what Ramanujan felt doing math. This is what Ramakrishna felt in devotion of Kali. This is what Sadhguru talks about experience on Chamundi Hill. This is the state where J. K. Rowling composed Harry Potter. This is what Rishab Rikhiram Sharma moves into when playing chanakya. Just listen to this you will get an idea.

How to Build Your Own Flight Path

1. Narrow the beam of attention – Cut distractions. One task, one focus.
2. Find the edge – Choose challenges that are neither too easy (boring) nor too hard (frustrating).
3. Merge with the task – Don’t watch yourself doing it; become the doing.

PS: Awaiting for Speeding Ticket!