“What Was Your Biggest Aha Moment in 2021?”

Think back on the events of the last year—the triumphs, the joys, and the challenges (and we're sure there have been many). With reflection, some of these defining events may have given you a lasting treasure: a new way of seeing. Or, as Oprah would put it, they sparked an aha moment, which brings sudden inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension, seemingly in a flash. “I always love those moments when I sit down to talk to somebody and they say things that make me look at life or a situation in a completely different way,” Oprah explained in a video for Merriam-Webster, saying it’s kind of a “lightbulb, bing bing bing” moment, in which “the little hairs on your arms stand up.”

What was your biggest aha moment of 2021? When we posed the question to Oprah Daily followers on Instagram, responses included comments about the importance of health, learning to accept people for who they are, and more. We asked the same question to an array of public figures—from actors to musicians to romance novelists—and their answers were just as varied and inspirational.