The mystical allure of the “AHA” moment has left me wondering where the heck mine have been. I don’t recall ever hearing myself utter that pithy remark upon a great discovery. It’s probably found more often in mystery novels and movies. Lucky for me, life has provided an alternative. The “Oh.”
As far as moments of acknowledgement go, the Oh moment is a big one. It is a fraught feeling filled with surprise and it is said more as a resignation than a breakthrough. It is generally a realization of wrongness. Wrong thought or conclusion, wrong decision or belief; just not right. It is more of a feeling in the gut than a new thought. Yes, I have had Oh moments galore.
Sometimes, these are good. You get called into the boss’s office and receive a compliment – Oh! You get a note to meet with a teacher and it’s good news – Oh! You have enough time to sleep in when an early event is cancelled – Oh!
But the ones I remember best changed a thought, showed me a new way to move forward, or made a correction. Oh, ouch.
Reviewing my most recent Oh moment has given me a better clue on when they occur. They often follow a moment when I feel I was more right than anyone else. As the great decider, I took it upon myself to declare a truth. After the Oh, I put my tail between my legs for a quick second to help achieve better vision on the error. I only regret having these moments when it involves someone else. The shame or fear creeps in and has to be turned out with some strong management of my thoughts.
When the acknowledgment is my own undoing, I get to be surprised, to show myself up as incorrect reminds me that I don’t know everything. A great leveler often makes me self-chuckle nervously. Being a human is torture. We act on the best intel we have, cross our fingers, and take the plunge. Most times, we do the right thing. But when I feel that Oh moment revealed when I was so sure of myself, I can still smile. Life really does involve endless learning. Now that is an “AHA” moment!
When you feel that “Oh” moment, where is it in your body? Do you feel an absurd need to follow it up with convincing evidence of your belief or can you take two minutes to genuinely stop and acknowledge the other possibility? How can your go-to action after that feeling create a better result?
