I think of aha moments as those times when something occurs and in an instant, everything changes. You can’t see things the way you used to because your perspective has changed. One benefit of re-visiting an aha moment is that it helps you remember context. You see how you hold your perspective differently than before. Here are three examples from my life, each very different from the other.
- In 4th grade I went to the optometrist and my whole world shifted when I put glasses on for the first time. I remember looking out the window and seeing the Woolworth’s store. I thought, “I didn’t know you were supposed to be able to see things across the street!” It was an aha moment and it opened up my life tremendously. I could finally see details that had escaped me. I hadn’t known what I was missing.
- When we moved to Chicago in 1973, fresh out of college, I had a job and John was still looking. We had trouble getting the gas and electricity turned on in our apartment because I was a woman and my income didn’t count. Yes, they said that! It was the reinforcement of an aha, “Yup, I still need to stand up for myself and claim who I am.”
- In 1987 I took a class at the College of DuPage called Journey Into Self. During an exercise I joined a group who all had Aliveness Life Energy and had a life altering aha. I thought, “There’s nothing wrong with me and there’s a whole group of people who see things just the way I do!” It was liberating to see that not only was I ok, but to realize that other people reacted the way they did because of their Life Energies. It informed the work that I do today and is the lens through which I see the world. Click here for a description of Life Energies or here for an audio.
When I look back at those pivotal moments I can see that my perception changed in the blink of an eye. I could no longer view my world in the old way. I encourage you to look at your aha moments and remember your pivotal moments. Leave your comments below as you share what you learned.
Comments are closed.