A is for aha.
Writing this post was the product of an aha. The writing prompt was to muse about a word starting with “A.” One word came to mind, and I thought “aha” and changed my choice to aha. It’s a fascinating word and an even better feeling.
In August of 2012, Merriam-Webster released their annual list of new dictionary words—terms and popular slang that have earned their way into the lexicon through common use. At the very top was a phrase popularized by Oprah: "Aha moment." Webster defines the term as “a moment of sudden inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension." Oprah elaborated, “it's the kind of a lightbulb, bing bing bing" moment, in which "the little hairs on your arms stand up."
Bing, Bing, Bing
We can generally recognize when an aha moment has happened to us.
“They are the accelerators of the possibilities; they dissolve boundaries and make us see things differently. Once a mind has been stretched by one ‘Aha!’ moment, it can never go back to its original state.” Ina Catrinescu, author of Burnout Breakthrough
In March 2022, a younger friend and colleague died unexpectedly. He was supposed to preach at a camp meeting in June. When I agreed to substitute for him, I felt honoured, inadequate, and overwhelmed. But the Holy Spirit inspired me. My aha moment was an assurance that I wasn’t there in his place, I was there in God’s place. I was able to include some of my friend’s values and stories in the messages.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Artists, poets, writers, and leaders attest to the inspiration of aha.
Giacomo Puccini who wrote the music of Madame Butterfly claims it was dictated to him by God.
Keith Morant was an internationally acclaimed artist who painted for over 50 years. He said he wasn’t sure where his ideas came from, he could only state “I pray to God and the composition comes.”
RalphWaldo Emerson wrote, “the poet sometimes seems to have a chamber in his brain into which an angel flies with divine messages.”
Rudyard Kipling warned “I have learned that when your inner helper is in charge do not try to think consciously. Draft, wait, and obey.”
The great artist Mark Rothko said, “the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them.”
William Blake said, “the one power that makes a poet is divine vision.”
An aha moment is also when your readers realize the value of your writing. What you produce is light and life. How much is seeing the light worth to a person in the dark?
A bright idea can add richness to a reader’s soul or money to your pocket. Why not both?
Igniting Aha
Are you struggling with an idea for your writing? Do you feel challenged by wanting to see your writing make a difference in the lives of your readers? As a writer you know the value of your compositions, but you are flummoxed by a lack of ideas to give your writing profile in a proliferation of content.
You need an aha moment. Some of the best ideas are simply spiritual ahas; divinely inspired moments of light. God has switched on more light bulbs than all the power companies in the world.
Have you observed that you make the best decisions not while actively trying to make a choice but, say, taking a shower, knitting, or working out? This is because ‘aha!’ moments that spark brilliant, unexpected ideas tend to crop up when our minds are quiet, and our consciousness is at rest.
The good news is that these flashes of insight are not as random as they seem and can be fostered by specific conditions.
Sitting with a favourite author's thoughts can often inspire your own.
Thomas Edison would routinely let his mind wander hoping to capture fleeting bits of innovative thought. He would write down his thoughts during that period, in the belief that they were often creative.
Silence and solitude are crucial for nurturing aha moments. Peace, quiet and prayer or meditation are creative combos.
I’ll be cheering on your writing and expect to be reading about your aha moments in 2023.
What a wonderful post, Bob! Love the unexpectedness of an ‘aha’ moment that you described so clearly. Blessings on your day.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon.
DeleteWow, Bob, this is an aha inspiring post. Thank you for the work you put into it. It's a keeper.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite author quote you shared was this one by Rudyard Kipling: “I have learned that when your inner helper is in charge do not try to think consciously. Draft, wait, and obey.”
This has come true for me so many times. You never know what The Helper is going to prompt our pen to write. Being an inspirational writer is an exciting adventure full of aha moments.
And these words of yours are spot on: "God has switched on more light bulbs than all the power companies in the world."
Amen & blessings.
Draft, wait, obey. 3 words that make a difference. Thank you for hi-liting that, Wendy and commenting.
DeleteThanks, Bob, for your compilation of "Aha" moments, and how they relate to divine inspiration. As Wendy said, they're "spot on". This quote by Emerson especially caught my attention: “the poet sometimes seems to have a chamber in his brain into which an angel flies with divine messages.” I've often found this to be true--that God gives me a message for my readers. Thanks also for your own story of how the Spirit inspired you to speak and confirmed that it was God's message.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading, Sandi. God has given you MANY messages for your readers, like me.
DeleteThis is an inspired post, Bob! I think God gave you an "aha moment" when you sat down to write it! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI can always count on you, Tracy, to capture the spirit of a post.
DeleteGreat post, Bob. My favourite line is, "God has switched on more light bulbs than all the power companies in the world." Amen to that!
ReplyDeleteI agree that "Silence and solitude are crucial for nurturing aha moments." Unfortunately, I don't have much of either these days... God willing, one day I will; in the meantime, I'll keep in step with Him through the Word, which is full of its own ahas.
I am on the same page as you, Susan.
DeleteAha, Bob, this is a great post. Emerson's quote, "the poet sometimes seems to have a chamber in his brain into which an angel flies with divine messages.” I hope this will be a cause of aha moments as I write into 2023. Thank you, Bob!
ReplyDeleteAnticipation, Alan, is a great word filled with it's own kind of "ahas."
Delete"Once a mind has been stretched by one ‘Aha!’ moment, it can never go back to its original state." I love that! Those Aha moments open up whole new worlds. Thanks for this inspiring post, Bob.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joy, for reading and joining the conversation. LKoking forward to your writing in 2023.
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