We all have good and bad moments in our lives. Throughout our limited time here on earth, finding someone who didn’t have a few defining moments that changed their life would be hard.
A defining moment is an unforgettable occurrence in your life that changes the way you are and how you act. These moments don’t necessarily have to be “good” or “bad,” but have an impact.
One example is my friend’s defining moment. Growing up, she was always a top student in the class. With all the teachers praising her work ethic, my friend was not happy. When I asked her why she wasn’t happy, she answered, “Because I’m only doing this to make my mother happy.”
Now, remember there’s nothing wrong with keeping your parents happy. After all, they raised and helped you figure out who you are today. While that was a lot for a fifth-grader to think about, my friend continued earning high scores until she was forced to decide for her future.
Her mother asked her what she wanted to do.
My friend knew her mother wanted her to be a doctor. After all, she was academically inclined and had the work ethic and smarts to get into any medical school she wanted. When asked to make a choice finally, my friend decided to be honest with her mother.
“I want to travel the world.”
And so she did. While some called her choice a “waste,” I can see my friend’s spirit lift at the chance of choosing her life direction. While she had to argue with her mother occasionally, she stuck with her guns and knew that she had made the right decision.
“Even if I made the wrong decision, I still needed that moment,” my friend told me recently. “Because if I didn’t take this chance to be honest with my mother, I’d be lying to her for the rest of my life.”
Years later, my friend and her mother are on good terms, and guess what? They just recently went on a vacation to Bali. My friend is now a successful travel blogger and does a lot of remote online work to fund her travels and passion.
With this story, I leave you with one question: What’s your defining moment?
Francis A Castelli 