Wanting to have those "Aha" moments?

Finding for a solution to a mechanical problem. Or figuring out why the directory of contact on the cell phone you recently updated is now missing. Stale ideas and cannot proceed to write?. Figuring out how to end an essay. Looking for the appropriate adjective to a situation. Planning an itinerary where there are no known connecting flights. Solving a mathematical problem? Forgot a singer? His song? Name of street? Your former office mate? Brainstorming? Drawing out a laundry list of melodies?

For the more practical ones, caught in traffic and could not figure out the best route? Short of money and experiencing difficulty in making both ends meet? Your electronic gadget simply does not work and yet it worked the last time.

All these long for an AHA moment. That moment of sudden insight and discovery, inspiration, insight, recognition and comprehension. It comes infrequently. But when it does, it feels good. It is almost ecstatic.

How does one condition himself to open the valves for those moments? How does one induce it for the aha moment to come? Does one need a coach? Does one just patiently wait for it?

When was the last time you had that “AHA!” My most recent ones were finally getting CNN Phil signal on my digital box by adjusting some settings and moving the antennae, finding an acquaintance on FB without any knowledge on family name, name and affiliation yet was discovered, finding a way out from a lost trail in a mountain climb, discovering how much more resources I have from untapped investments or a simple discovery of a food outlet by sheer adventure. Most gratifying was decoding a password for a secured online account.

From my experience, either I sleep on it to problem solve, force a solution or hibernate in a nature trip for the abundance of ideas to flow in. Pope Francis too offered an approach, let the sleeping St. Joseph figure it out for you. What works for me is keeping an open mind, freeing it from clutter and bias. The Aha may come immediately, or days and some even months. The most recent was the thought of writing an article about it and publishing it in my notes.

My hope is someone at least likes or shares this article. But that is no longer in the influence of my aha.