“An aha moment is a remembering of what you already knew articulated in a way to resonant with your own truth.” – Oprah Winfrey
I love those lightbulb (aha) moments when something just “clicks”.
I’ve had a few lately…some based on what I’ve heard or read and others just from my own process of reflection (journaling). But what good is an aha moment if it’s kept in the “dark” (a.k.a. not put to good use)?
And to be totally transparent, I really hope the following creates a chain reaction of lightbulb moments for you. If not, I hope they at least provide some tools that you can put to good use.
THE 5 LIGHTBULB MOMENTS
Lightbulb Moment #1: Self-Worth fluctuates & you can’t see someone else’s if you can’t see your own
A little backstory: I found this really cool app for meditating called Insight Timer. What I love about this app is not just the great meditations available (15,000+), but the community element.
The other day after I was done meditating I received a message from a fellow meditator and it said…
Not only did I love the quote, but it inspired an entire journal entry around self-worth which set off a huge lightbulb. Here are just a few of the highlights from that entry…
- It’s hard to see another’s worth when you don’t see your own.
- The feeling of self-worth fluctuates depending on energy level, amount of sleep, drama and stress experienced. Which makes sense, because when we’re fried and crispy we’re more vulnerable to the negative thoughts that impact our own feelings of self-worth. So, instead of seeing someone else’s worth, we see their flaws alongside our own.
- We’re born with these amazing hearts that are worth their weight in gold …and for reasons sometimes not clear or understood, we wall them off. It’s when we become so guarded that we stop being able to see our own worth, as well as others’. That is when we are susceptible to tearing others down to make up for feeling “unworthy”.
- Questions to answer for evidence of my own worth. That way the next time my self-worth fluctuates I can re-read what I wrote…
Tell me about your heart.
What does it stand for?
Lightbulb Moment #2: Fear or love; I get to choose.
“There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment, peace, and joy. From fear comes anger, hate, anxiety and guilt. It’s true that there are only two primary emotions, love and fear. But it’s more accurate to say that there is only love or fear, for we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They’re opposites. If we’re in fear, we are not in a place of love. When we’re in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Whether we agree or disagree with this quote one thing is for sure, we are always in a place of choice. So, the next time I’m feeling crappy, negative, low, etc. I have the following questions to pull out of my bag of choice tricks.
What do I want to feel instead of this __________ feeling?
What do I choose to do right now that’ll help me feel the way I want to feel?
Lightbulb Moment #3: Nothing is guaranteed.
I realized something about myself and guarantees; guarantees = safety and security.
If I’m busy looking for those guarantees I’m missing out on what’s possible….because…wait for it…
I’m trying to control the outcome. Which sucks all the fun and cool potentials out of a project, a relationship, or a day.
If safety and security are what I’m craving, all I need to do is take a good look around and remind myself of the things that help me to feel safe and secure. Then I just need to step back and engage my faith. Knowing and believing that what is meant to be in my day, my relationships, projects, etc. will be… and in a way that is for my highest good.
All of which reminds me of a Woody Allen quote that my own coach shared with me once, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”
Lightbulb Moment #4: Each moment is a gift.
This little gem has released a shit-ton of pressure. Moments are bite-sized and manageable. The present moment is made up of moments. I like moments and I like the fact that I get to choose what to do in every given moment. Like right now, I’m choosing to share with you. And in the next moment, I may choose something else.
Each moment truly is an amazing gift given to do whatever I please with.
Extra benefit: for those moments when things go awry, I like the fact that I can remind myself that this awry situation is a momentary thing that can change with the next moment.
Lightbulb Moment #5: The three things we need each day.
This little lightbulb is courtesy of Marie Forleo and her guest Dr. Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
There are three things we need each day which goes with the three structures in our brain…
Safety
Satisfaction
Relatedness/Connection to ourselves and others.
(Side note: when this last need is met, it actually meets the other two as well.)
Dr. Hanson suggested that in order to fulfill these needs, it helps to experience something good each day. And in doing so we can then turn that positive state we’re experiencing into a trait (or new neural pathway) by:
- Staying with the experience for a few moments.
- Feeling the positive feelings it produces.
- And then asking one or both of these questions to create further insight and evidence; “What’s meaningful about this experience?” “What’s rewarding?”
ARE YOUR LIGHTBULBS FLASHING?
Dear Soul, I want to thank you for reading to this point. You have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to do so. Now it’s your turn…
Which one of these moments are you wanting to experiment with? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…
What are some of the lightbulb moments you’ve had in your life that got you totally jazzed?
Until next time, I’m sending you much…
