setting the stage for a v-8 moment

8/14/2019 SETTING THE STAGE FOR A V-8 MOMENT

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YOU UNSTUCK BY LIBBY GILL

EXCERPT #7

SETTING THE STAGE FOR A V-8 MOMENT

You know those moments of insight that zap you like a bolt out of the blue?

Some people refer to them aha or light-bulb moments. I call them V-8 moments because

when the pieces fall into place, its suddenly so obvious you cant believe you didnt see

it before. Its like those commercials where the people smack themselves on the

forehead because, duh, they didnt think about having a V-8 but grabbed a Twinkie or

Ben & Jerrys instead.

There are actually two types of V-8 moments, both of which can help you solve a

problem or see something from a new perspective. The first type comes at you from

inside the brain while youre consciously trying to work out a solution or find an answer.

When you understand how the brain sets the stage for these flashes of insight, you can

consciously help the process along. It works something like this: imagine youre

watching Wheel of Fortune (for those of you pretending youve never seen the decades-

old show, think Hangman). You see the puzzle with the missing letters and your mind

is working feverishly to solve it. Youre struggling, you dont know if you can figure it

out without buying some vowels. Suddenly, eureka, there it is. Without adding a single

letter, you can see the entire puzzle as clear as day. Others trying to solve the same

puzzle may be in awe that something they couldnt see at all is crystal clear to you.

Theres some solid brain science to back up this V-8 phenomenon. Research

shows that you actually use a different part of your brain when you solve a problem


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intuitively than you do if you were solving the problem methodically. Psychologists Dr.

John Kounios of Drexel University and Dr. Mark Jung-Beeman of Northwestern

University and their teams monitored subjects with MRIs and EEGs as they were

tasked with solving word puzzles. With both types of scans, the scientists were able to

see a distinctive pattern when the subject solved the problem intuitively. Additionally,

the part of the brain involved was completely different from the area used when the

subject solved the problem methodically.

Their work suggests that by shifting your focus, turning your thoughts inward

and shutting out distractions, you may be able to prepare your brain for those priceless

V-8 moments. Im sure you heard people say that their best ideas come when theyre in

the shower. Now you know why, the water drowns out external distractions, your focus

is limited and you generally turn your thoughts inward. But rather than risk turning into

a wrinkled prune every time you have a dilemma to ponder, try recreating the V-e state

in other ways like taking a walk or listening to music. When you get that precious flash

of intuition, think about it, write it down and, most important, prepare to act on it.

The other type of V-8 moment comes from the outside, when someone or

something introduces new and possibly unexpected information. Like that photo from

your high school reunion when you realize youre the one that looks older and heavier

than all your former classmates. Ill give you a pictorial example from my own life.

Back in my corporate days, when I was about to be promoted to a top-level

media job, the studio had me take a headshot so it could be released to the industry trade

papers along with an announcement about my new position. Quite unexpectedly, a proof

of that un-retouched shot landed on my desk, straight from the photographer. It was all


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marked up in red grease pencil, noting all the flaws on my face and how they might be

fixed.

Lighten the dark circles under the eyes, lose the gray roots in my part, brighten

the dull teeth, fix the red eyes, wipe out the crows feet. Major ouch. I took one look at

that frumpy, stressed out, overweight woman and burst into tears. But it helped me turn

a corner because I could no longer deny that I was absolutely miserable and needed to

get myself unstuck before I spent another twenty years in the wrong career.

You may have received a similar wake-up call in the form of feedback from a

friend, a glimpse of yourself in a picture window, or a passing remark made by a total

stranger. Dont waste that gift. Dont brush off that moment with the Immediate

Negative Response. Let it sink in even if it hurts, remembering that comfort is your

enemy. And, yes, painful as those moments of clarity may be, theyre truly blessings.

setting the stage for a v-8 moment

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