The Community’s AHAs! and UH-OHs!
of the Week

My first aha was that the word ‘question’ appeared in a lot of our key takeaways over the week. These are questions that are asked to the ‘self’ and to others. Another aha of mine is about concepts of innovation that I read and watch about - I hadn't seen any real life applications until the Gomez family shared their Bizkids project. They were applying these innovation concepts without even having an explicit knowledge on them. It is beautiful to see that they are being led to these concepts through their own intuition.

If I've learned anything, it’s that we have to be able to take that journey within. I realized that I had stopped listening to the whispers before. I love how Joana called these signs, signal graces. I want to find these signs again so that I can find where I should go. That being said, I’m scared of what I might find out in committing to a journey beyond the present, in thinking too far ahead into the uncertainties of the future.

My uh-oh moment came during a buddy workout with Aileen. First question, I was already stuck. I was asked what my job title is and I should freely describe my role here in Ignite. I had no idea what my job title was, having no specific role yet. So Aileen was probing my intuition, telling me to think outside of the box - it doesn’t have to be so “corporate-y.” And then hearing Aileen share her answers struck me because what she put was really creative and insightful. She said that her job title was that she was Merlin, a seeker and a king maker. So that’s my aha moment - I have the freedom to create myself, my own person. And that sense of freedom enables me to create and to think and go beyond. That was really gratifying, that sense of liberation, especially now when we aren’t really “free.”

Innovation is not about finding fancy ideas or being clever, it’s not all about knowledge or smarts. I’ve learned that you can find innovation by going deeper into your thoughts, ideas, insights, really probing them in order to understand and connect with the people you want to serve. That’s my aha moment, but my uh-oh moment was from Wednesday’s session, when Joana talked about hearing the whispers and listening to them. I understand what that means and how it can impact my life, but it’s always been hard for me to truly listen to them, because the noise always seems louder. Distractions are easier to focus on, but I want to learn how to block the noise. I need to understand where the noise is coming from too, and that comes with practicing more self-awareness. Ultimately, I want to be in a state of quietness where I can hear the whispers loud and clear.

My aha moment is that my efforts aren't understated or undervalued. For so long I thought that exerting a lot of effort equates to impact. I realized though, that while it's okay to work hard, working smart can just be as impactful. When we understand our role, we will always be able to contribute and impact ourselves and others, whether in small or big ways.

My aha moment is realizing that overthinking can affect your health - most people who have insomnia are the people who are always thinking. I can relate to that because I have insomnia and I’m always thinking. Thoughts keep popping in my head and I have to tire myself so I can sleep. Peak pocket sessions have already helped me sleep better and have a better control of my thoughts. I was a skeptic to the breathing techniques, but they really helped.

I also suffer from insomnia. I have a lot on my mind. So my aha moment is regarding our talk with Joana during GPS Wednesday. Her journey was very inspirational. I used to always control my life and everything - my takeaway is to better listen to the whispers and trust that it is God’s.