Certain moments in life define our character. It isn’t that they change us, but rather they allow us to display our true nature for all to see. They show the world who we are at our core.
For some people, these moments can be very dramatic. They might come in life-or-death circumstances, such as when the need arises to save someone from drowning during a flood or to rescue a person from a flaming building. It could happen when faced with a shooter on a campus or a woman ready to deliver a baby.
For other people, the moments come during ordinary days. Opportunities arise that allow them to act in what appear to be extraordinary ways.
Examples of Defining Moments
For example, a soloist gets injured during a dance performance and another dancer takes the stage with almost no rehearsal and performs the part, saving the show. Other dancers were wary of risking their careers to do the same, yet this one goes on without hardly a thought because it’s the right thing to do; in his mind, it’s his job.
A woman walks by a car in the heat of a summer day and sees a dog on the back seat dying of dehydration. Instead of continuing on her way or calling the police and then waiting for them to come, by which time it could be too late, she takes action. She finds a rock and breaks the car window. She opens the door, lifts out the dog and gives him water, saving his life. Then she calls the police.
An elderly woman finds herself unable to walk her dog because of pain in her legs and back. A young neighbor offers to walk the dog for her every day when she walk, since the house is on her route anyway.
Learn from Your Defining Moments
Defining moments can be personal, professional or even spiritual. But they give those around you a window into who you really are.
They may provide you with insight into yourself as well. You may not see your actions as anything but ordinary because to you they seem normal—just you doing what you do. To others, however, they will likely seem extraordinary. And that’s where you learn about yourself—by seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes.
Have you experienced any defining moments in your life? Tell me about them in a comment below.
photo credit: Keoni Cabral via photopin cc
