Throughout my academic career, I'd given some pretty good talks. But being considered the best speaker in a computer science department is like being known as the tallest of the Seven Dwarfs. And right then, I had the feeling that I had more in me, that if I gave it my all, I might be able to offer people something special. "Wisdom" is a strong word, but maybe that was it.
Source – The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
What is the meaning of "that was it"? And why it is "was" instead of "is"?
Best Answer
It means "That was the answer", or "that was the explanation".
"Was" anchors the narrative at the point in time that he is speaking about. "That is it" would be equally grammatical, and the meaning would be essentially the same; but it would take the reader out of the narrative and bring them to the present.