Originally found at Fast Company, by Stephanie Vozza.

If you’ve ever completely changed your mind about something, or suddenly realized the solution to a problem you’ve been contemplating for a while, you probably had an epiphany–a swift insight that made everything clear. While epiphanies are powerful, they can also feel rare, but it’s possible to take steps to invite more of them into your life, says Erik Dane, distinguished associate professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

“Having epiphanies is counterpoint to today’s disturbing trend toward stability, becoming rigid and entrenched in your views, attitude, and beliefs over time,” he says. “It’s hard to teach a dog new tricks, and epiphanies are cases to the contrary. Suddenly people have an experience that reorients where they’re going in ways they didn’t see coming.”

Epiphanies differ from ideas, says Dane. “You can have many ideas at any point and on any given day. Epiphanies are aha moments that are powerful in shaping our trajectory.”

Continue reading the original article at Fast Company.

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• Erik Dane, Rice University