Epiphanies are ‘Ah yes,’ moments. You see things as if for the first time, make creative breakthroughs or experience moments of realisation. Sometimes you act on this enlightenment, sometimes you don’t. Let’s explore three kinds of epiphanies.

1) Creative epiphanies.

These are creative breakthroughs. ‘Things fall into place’ or you find a solution to a problem. There are several ways that you can increase the possibility of such moments.

* You can your ‘prime times’ - the times of the day when you feel most creative. You can then safeguard and make good use of these times.

* You can follow your successful pattern for making creative breakthroughs. Looking back on your life, identify when you have enjoyed those ‘Ah yes,’ moments. Find and follow those principles in the future.

* You can set aside time for ‘slow thinking’. Set aside enough time to rest, relax and recover. Give yourself permission to ‘not do anything’. Recognise that it is okay to be ‘fallow’, rather than always in ‘flow’. Paradoxically, you may find new ideas begin to spring forth.

When have you experienced creative epiphanies? What did you do right to create such moments? How can you increase the odds of generating such creative epiphanies in the future? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
creative epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did right to
create those moments were:

*

*

The things I can do to increase the odds of
generating such creative epiphanies in the future are:

*

*

2) Critical epiphanies.

These arrive at critical moments - such as in the midst of a crisis, a disappointing setback or a ‘near death experience’. There are several things that may happen during these times.

* You recognise what is really important in life. The crisis forces you to count your blessings and see things in perspective.

* You take a new direction in life. Learning from the experience, you focus on the values you want to pursue in the future.

* You learn valuable lessons from other people or from yourself. For example, you may get tough feedback from somebody you respect. Whilst it hurts at the time, you take the lessons on-board and grow stronger from the experience. Similarly, you develop resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks. The breakdown leads to new breakthroughs.

When have you had critical epiphanies? Looking at what you experienced during those times, how did you translate the learning into action? Looking ahead, how can you make the best use of the learning from any possible future critical epiphanies? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
critical epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did to put
the learning into action were:

*

*

The things I can do to make the best use of the
learning from any future critical epiphanies are:

*

*

3) ‘Caught by surprise’ epiphanies.

These come without warning. For example, you may fall in love, have a ‘road to Damascus’ moment or experience what the Zen Buddhists call kensho - the moment of ‘awakening’ or enlightenment. (Though the latter may only happen after years of practice.) There are several things you may do as a result of these moments.

* You feel in awe of something much greater than yourself and pursue a life of service. Some people follow a ‘spiritual’ path; others find and follow their personal or professional vocation.

* You appreciate the beauty of life - but become aware of its temporary nature. Bearing this in mind, you enjoy each moment and encourage others to live life fully.

* You decide to radically change your ways. For example, realizing the consequences of your actions, you change your lifestyle or other aspects of your behaviour.

When have you had ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies? Looking at what you experienced during those times, how did you put the learning into action? How can you make the best use of the learning from any possible future ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did to put
the learning into action were:

*

*

The things I can do to make the best use of the learning
from any future ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies are:

*

*

Epiphanies come in many different forms. Sometimes we learn from them, sometimes we don’t. The key is to be open during those remarkable moments.