Life Changing Events

For her social studies class, Ellen is developing a pamphlet about herself.  So like a good reporter she began asking fact about herself - birth facts, early childhood etc.  Then tonight she asked me about what life changing event she should document.  Hmmm  since she has only been around 4749 days (of which she probably remembers only 25%), she wanted some ideas from someone that has been around for the duration - namely me.

So I began the challenge of giving her choices - a key memorable trip; making the tennis team; overcoming a fear (e.g. recital; bicycling; speech in school; etc.); a class or a new skill learned; a medical emergency; getting a new pet; losing a pet; getting lost; first trip away from parents; first day of school and the bus; a teacher, coach, friend or family member and the list goes on.  It will be interesting to see what she picks.

What would you pick for yourself?  Graduation, wedding, birth of child, death, religious conversion, career (first hire, fire or retire), medical emergency, first car, a move from home, first house?  Michael Gates Gill's book "How to save your own Life" is basically a narrative of his own life changing events which he describes in 15 inspiring lessons of life. Most of those events involved a relationship - other people.  The key is to remember your event - and learn from it and apply that learning continuously.

The game of Life has events we can choose that become life changing or events that just happen to us without our choice.  How we accept and/or deal with the change is what defines us - it becomes our story.

Tell your story to others - not only is it life changing for you, it can be life changing to others.