A sudden and profound realization or understanding, often accompanied by a feeling of clarity or insight.
This, by definition, is an Epiphany.
I was in a breakout room during a Zoom call with a fellow student from an online course, and I was telling her about this idea that I had for an article that I was writing. My plan was to create a PDF that readers could access by signing up for my newsletter.
I had been thinking for days about the best way to do it because the idea of downloading and printing 20 pages of text excerpts to copy them by hand is not the most appealing signup offer out there.
"Why don't you split it all into 6 or 7 parts and offer it as an e-mail crash course?" - asked Aurora.
And just by that, not only had I solved the bottleneck of my plan to gather some signups for my mailing list, but I also had found an offer that I could use across all of my platforms, presented in a way that would allow me to a much stronger relationship with my subscribers, offering them more value while asking them less time in return.
That simple idea from Aurora enlightened my mind with a handful of possibilities.
I called these moments “Outsourced Epiphanies”, situations where we get breakthroughs through other people’s ideas.
Outsourced Epiphanies
Outsourced Epiphanies are like little gems thrown at you during meaningful conversations with people who are just as curious as you are, but aren’t constrained by the limitations of your own reality, so can often offer a fresh point of view over your ideas.
By being receptive to this, you’re creating a supercharged environment for progress by embracing the wisdom of others and absorbing those fresh insights and alternative viewpoints that make you go, "Whoa, I never thought of that!"
But you can only be receptive to it if you adopt the correct mindset, which is nothing more than embracing serendipity.
By being involved in various communities, I’ve been experiencing Outsourced Epiphanies very often, because when you surround yourself – even virtually – with remarkable people, it’s hard not to get these breakthroughs.
And this was happening so often that it got me thinking, "Can I turn this into a system? Can I make it easier for everyone to access these breakthrough experiences?"
Imagine having intentional spaces and platforms where these deep conversations can flourish. Online communities, mastermind groups, and mentorship programs could become the playgrounds for nurturing Outsourced Epiphanies.
These intentional environments would provide a structured framework for individuals to connect, engage, explore diverse perspectives, and ignite constant growth and inspiration. People from all walks of life could connect, share, and elevate one another.
So how can we create a systematic approach to Outsourced Epiphanies?
It all comes down to gathering a community and intentionally facilitating the flow of ideas.
Many communities like these already exist today and are vibrant environments of serendipity, but in the big picture, the generality of people does not belong to any of them, so we should encourage their integration into existing communities, or facilitate the creation of new ones around common interests of the various social groups that somehow aggregate online.
For the latter, these are the steps needed to build a thriving community:
Build a Community Playground: Create an online community or group where like-minded individuals can gather and exchange ideas.
Spark Meaningful Dialogue: Encourage open discussions and provide thought-provoking prompts to foster deep conversations.
Embrace the Art of Active Listening: Pay attention to others, ask questions, and engage with their thoughts to absorb their wisdom.
Cultivate a Culture of Collaboration: Encourage members to build upon each other's ideas, share resources, and provide constructive feedback.
Document and Reflect: Encourage members to record and document their breakthroughs and reflections for future reference and inspiration.
Rinse and Repeat: Consistently nurture the community, seek out fresh perspectives, and maintain the momentum of personal growth and transformative insights.
The only premise is to identify groups of people who share a common interest or passion, forming what Seth Godin refers to as a "tribe." Once these groups are identified, the next step is to determine the platforms and medium of communication and establish the community based on the principles mentioned earlier.
Conclusion
Outsourced Epiphanies hold the key to unlocking personal growth, transformative insights, and collective wisdom. By embracing shared insights, serendipity, and the power of deep conversations with like-minded individuals, we embark on a journey of continuous growth and self-discovery.
These moments of epiphany offer us fresh perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and open doors to new possibilities. It is in our best interest to cultivate intentional environments that foster the exchange of transformative insights and nurture continuous growth. By building online communities, fostering meaningful dialogue, actively listening, collaborating, and documenting our reflections, we create a systematic approach to embracing Outsourced Epiphanies.
-Danny
Hi Danny!
What a beautifully thoughtful article! Perfect for every content creator!
I love your coined phrase, Outsourced Epiphanies! The stickiness of it will help remind me to follow these two big takeaways from your article:
-And this was happening so often that it got me thinking, "Can I turn this into a system? Can I make it easier for everyone to access these breakthrough experiences?"
-Document and Reflect: Encourage members to record and document their breakthroughs and reflections for future reference and inspiration.
So happy I got to read this insightful article of yours! Jenny
P.S. Kevon Cheung’s has an affordable self-study class called Email Course Engine. I think it’s $79 USD. He launched it on May 1st. You might need to email him through his website to find the class purchase page: https://kevoncheung.com/
I like this idea a lot Danny. And I fully agree that it’s crazy powerful to get together with likeminded people have a conversation in a breakout room. I have experienced many moments like that where I felt I leveled up by being in that room.
Having experienced that I have put some thought into how one might re-create those. I have found so far that it’s very hard to do it outside of those communities.
James Clear had something really wise in one of his newsletter editions a long while back, (paraphrasing here since i’m sure it was more concise from him)“everyone wants to make friends but you can’t just go out and set out to make friends. You make friends on the way to something else.”
I think that applies to this, Ive found it hard to have people unlock crazy potential in each other without the shared context of all of us trying to accomplish something similar.
But I will keep looking at this, see if there are other ways. I am very interested in this idea and I appreciate you writing about it.