Ideas
Thinking vs. Thoughting
Four ways to create the aha moments that can change your life.
Originally written in 2017.
An aha moment is a tiny instant when we realize something that changes the predictable path of our lives. It tells us what really matters, when to make a change, or how to solve the problem we've been wrestling with.
The most powerful ahas often come from a brush with death. Anyone who has had one will tell you it forced them to be present and to refocus on what truly matters. I know this from my own life.
The trouble is, it's harder than ever to be present. We're bombarded with emails, texts, and to-do lists. Life comes at us fast, and we spend most of our time reacting. That's what I call thoughting: when your thoughts run your mind instead of the other way around. Thought your way through life long enough, and one day you look back and wonder how you got here.
Thinking is different. It's an active process that requires you: your consciousness and your intention. And our best thinking needs something first, which is space. Here are four ways to create it.
Reflect on your death. We have to get over our fear of talking about it. Write your own eulogy. I've done it, and I reread it often. How did you live, how did you treat people, what did you stand for, and who showed up to say goodbye?
Invest in intense self-inquiry. A great course, retreat, or coach can interrupt your everyday thinking and show you something about yourself you'd never see on autopilot. If you roll your eyes at this kind of thing, you might benefit the most.
Get away. Go somewhere you've never been, ideally where people speak a different language. New sights, sounds, and smells exercise the brain. Give yourself at least a week, and if you can, two or three.
Get outside and disconnect. Being connected all the time leaves no room to think. Take an hour or a whole weekend in nature without your phone. Walk in the woods, spend time on the water, or find a cabin with no wifi.
Make one of these a priority. The value of a single aha can outweigh almost everything else on your calendar. The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the number of aha moments you experience.
Danielle Posa