Flow Mindset

Introducing Flow Mindset

A Blog by Sridevi Krishnan

A Saturday Morning of Realisation

On a quiet Saturday morning, I sat in my den by the window and gazed at the banana plant growing in my backyard. Its sturdy stem, broad green leaves, and ripe yellow fruit were trying to convey something. The plant’s strength did not come from hoarding its resources, but from offering them up. Almost every part of it, the fruit, the leaves, even the stem, could nourish someone else. By sharing its abundance, the plant lightened itself and became capable of producing more. Holding on to that heaviness is detrimental to the plant itself. So, yes, let it flow, share, lighten up, make more, and the cycle repeats. 

The Effect

I turned around and looked at the huge wall adorned with certificates. They are proof of the time and effort that I had invested and the skills I gained. They look impressive, no doubt about that. But if knowledge stays framed on a wall rather than applied in life, its impact remains limited. 

That morning, I realised something important. Flow is such an essential part of our lives. So, here I am, sharing my knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and experiences, letting them flow, so I can gain new insights and continue to embrace the concept of continuous learning. 

Types of Mindsets

For years, we have talked about fixed mindset and growth mindset. A fixed mindset limits what we believe is possible. A growth mindset encourages curiosity, learning, and improvement. Growth matters. It has opened doors, expanded opportunities, and pushed many of us to keep learning long after formal education ends. 

We collect degrees, certifications, skills, experiences, and insights. Our shelves grow fuller, and our resumes grow longer. And yet, despite all this growth, something often feels incomplete. The issue isn’t a lack of effort or ambition; it’s that what we accumulate doesn’t always move, leaving us feeling strangely stagnant and stuck. This is where what I call the Flow Mindset comes into the picture. In many ways, the idea of flow has always lived quietly within the growth mindset itself. Growth favours effort over results, encourages learning over scoring, and fosters curiosity and openness. Flow simply asks the next intuitive question: once we have grown, how do we allow what we’ve gained to move? 

Graduating to Flow Mindset

Flow is about intentional movement and circulation. It encourages us to think beyond acquiring knowledge, wealth, energy, and emotional strength. How should we set in motion what is ours today so that it creates impact beyond us and returns renewed? In doing so, we become part of a sustainable cycle. A growth mindset teaches us that we can learn. The flow mindset asks whether what we’ve learned is alive and moving purposefully.

To truly understand the Flow Mindset, we must value growth but not stop there. 

The Fluid Nature of Water

In nature, still water stagnates. Flowing water renews itself. The same principle applies to us. What we hold within, ideas, calm, energy, experience, is not meant to be stored indefinitely. When set in motion, it transforms, inspires, and returns to us renewed. 

When what we hold is set in motion, it rarely returns in the same form. Knowledge shared often comes back as new insight and perspective. Wealth, when used with intention, reshapes how we value and accumulate. Energy offered to others is often met with different kinds of energy in return. Even calm, when expressed rather than contained, deepens into clarity and connection. 

Renewed V/s Replaced

In the Flow Mindset, “renewed” does not mean replacement or simple return. It is not a one-to-one exchange where what we extend comes back in the same quantity or form. It refers to a meaningful cycle of movement and transformation. At the same time, it is important to know that Flow is not about giving endlessly or depleting oneself. Flow is a cycle in which what moves outward fosters growth for something or someone new, and then flows back in. 

A True Story

To better illustrate, let me share this true story of my father who celebrates his 78th birthday this month. 

After a massive heart attack at the age of 44, he felt trapped in what he called a lifelong “medication prison.” The doctor prescribed a fixed and restrictive path forward. He had to quit his high-pressure sales job, follow a very strict diet, and take morning and evening medications. He found this lifestyle extremely limiting. 

A few years into it, he decided to grow out of it. 

He tried yoga, Reiki, naturopathy, and other natural, alternative approaches. Through yoga, natural food, and conscious lifestyle changes, he began rebuilding himself. Step by step, he moved from restriction to possibility. He has now been living medication-free for over 20 years. 

Years after sustaining this lifestyle, he asked, “If this has helped me, why not help others?” 

Without naming it, he entered what I now recognise as a Flow Mindset. 

Flow Mindset in Practice

What began as personal practice became a shared one. Slowly and steadily, he built a structure around what he had been practicing, combining yoga, conscious living, dietary awareness, and overall lifestyle changes. Through radio, television, and now digital platforms, he continues to learn, share, and expand. 

In sharing his experience, he has inspired others to do the same and, in return, he continues to learn and grow from them. 

This true story embodies the core of the Flow Mindset.

About Sridevi Krishnan

Sridevi Krishnan is a writer, product leader, and lifelong learner who blends a rich professional journey with a deep passion for reflection and storytelling. With over 25 years in the tech industry and more than nine years writing for Chinmaya Mission’s children’s magazine, she brings both structure and sensitivity to her work. She has also conducted story-writing workshops for children. As a mother of twins, her writing is shaped by lived experience and thoughtful observation, often weaving insight, warmth, and quiet wisdom into everyday moments.