"not everyone is willing to put in the effort, but those who do know true peace of mind."
Meet
Markus Forstik
Trailbuilder, Farmer and Bike Rider.
You enjoy an academic education, yet you chose to keep working the fields and forests, can you tell us why?
"When I was around 17, I noticed how many people are unhappy about their occupation. All they did was complain about how hard their job was, how much time it consumed and how little satisfaction it gave them.
My job is also pretty hard you know, it requires countless hours of manual labour and I'm sure not everyone is willing to do it. Yet, it fulfills me more than anything and in the end of the day, I feel accomplished. I feel like I have done something of significant value in the last eight hours."
For countless weeks we care for the seeds that we put in the soil, we nurture them and hope they will flourish. A big effort for a little plant which sometimes doesn't carry anything of value at all, and yet, when the work is done, I leave the fields a happier man.
It's the same state of flow I'm in, working with my hands in nature or riding bikes, it's just the duration and intensity that separates the two."
"Logging trees is just as interesting as planting them. Forestry work is a serious matter to me, a highly respected task that's usually carried out in winter.
Some trees are more than twice my age and I have the honour of cutting them down, drying their wood and building something new for my people and the following generations. As long as I create something useful with the resources the forest provides, I feel like I'm paying tribute to mother nature."
How would you describe FLOW in your own words?
" ..there is no universal definition to describe it, just like there is no standardized feeling of how people experience it.
It can be anything from walking in the woods, looking at plants to approaching a massive jump on a bike.
As long as the motivation comes from within and the task itself is carried out actively, it will ultimately lead to some sort of flow state."
"You know, riding bikes, going fast and hitting jumps requires deep focus for a very short period of time. Once you're down the hill, the wave of excitement catches up with you. At the end of a good run, you are all hyped up and all you want to do is scream.
In my field of work it's quite contrary, yet so similar. Take the feeling you get from riding that line for less than one minute and stretch it to eight hours. The wave is just more subtle, but still powerful enough to carry you through your day.
At the end of a good day at work you're just as happy, but instead of screaming out loud you silently nod in appreciation of what you have accomplished."