Forget everything you’ve ever learned. Think back to the 1 thing that happened to you that made the biggest impact on your life. Got it? Good. This is the single defining moment in your life that is probably affecting you to this day. If not, then it at least made such a large impact in your life that a good portion of it was shaped because of the event. This is something that’s worth while digging into further.
Hmmm… dive forward or backwards?
I surveyed quite a few folks about their own personal life changing events to get a better understanding of what people really cared for in life. I got a whole heck of a lot more useful information than I planned! In fact, I thought it was so useful, I had to post it here to share with you. Below is the RAW, unfiltered, ad UNcut responses I received to a set of questions.
Question:
What is your most memorable and impactful life changing experience? Why?
Answers:
- My experience would be when my daughter was born. My wife and I had been trying to have a child for months and finally succeeded. She is my pride, joy, and world. Once my daughter was born my whole outlook on live completely changed and I have something worth living for.
- The time that my dad died. it took a big part of my life and an extreme change and took someone out of my life.
- The day I graduated from college was one of my most memorable and impactful life changing experiences. It marked an accomplishment of a long-term and my hard work and sacrifices paid off.
- When I met my most recent boss in 1998. I was hired and then 2 days later the person that hired me was terminated along with the entire management staff. I thought I was going to end up back on the job line again, but the replacement for the person that hired me was actually better to work with than the person that did my hiring. He was very kind, understanding, and wanted to work with me to help me become a better employee and a better person. Now 15 years later I am still at the same job and still enjoy doing my job, all because of this one person. (my longest job up until then was 9 months)
- My most memorable life changing experience is when I moved out to Chicago to live with my parents. I lived in Detroit with a friend and I wasn’t able to move forward with my life. So I knew I had to change. I moved out to Chicago got a job and started school.
- The most life changing experience for me is when I met my fiance. She has improved my life in so many ways I cannot count. I would truly be lost without her. Hopefully we can get married soon.
- This may seem strange, but one memory, one moment that sticks out the most in my mind from my childhood was the day that I could not tell my parents that I love them. There wasn’t any sort of strange revelation that led up to it, no pattern of cruel behavior on their part or anything that may cause a child to suddenly not feel anything for their parents. It was really rather all of a sudden. I would walk to school and every morning my mother would watch me and my older brother go and say “I love you” as we left. We would always say it back. But then one day, for some reason, I could not bring myself to say it back and I was not sure why. From that day on, I’ve never been able to tell my parents that I love them. Although I never told them, that has strongly shaped the nature of our relationship from then on.
- My dad went to my mom’s house to pick up me and my sisters to spend the weekend at his house. He was drunk. He started driving on the wrong side of the road. He almost went head on with another car. That other car turned out to be a cop car. He was pulled over and arrested. That is when I realized that there is a God who is there for me. He protects me and watches over me.
- When I gave birth to my only child it changed my life forever. In all the usual ways but also in ways that I hadn’t thought about. Every decision I made was focused on what is best for “us” not just me. It made me a better, stronger, more generous person.
- Long ago back when I was still a small child, my parents took me back to my home country in south east Asia. Up till then, I always though the world was a peaceful and wealthy place, full of products and food. The trip opened my eyes to poverty and the general problems of the world.
- The first time I took a trip to Southern Illinois to see Garden of the Gods. It was so awe inspiring. I remember the exact moment as I climbed to the higher part of the bluff, looked over the Shawnee National Forest, That’s when the realization dawned on me that I’m in control of the choices I make and that it’s up to me to accomplish my goals and to never rely on anyone but myself.
- This might sound silly to some people, but the most memorable and impact life changing experience in my life thus far is when my dog died. I live on my own and have only 2 real friends I would consider as close relationships. When I adopted my miniature pincher I really felt like I had someone to care for, and provide for and he was always so happy to see me and loved to go everywhere with me. I spoiled that little bugger, and when he passed away last Thanksgiving I really took it hard. Now that I have come to terms I realize what LOVE really means. It means that you care about the health and well-being of another living creature and you enjoy doing things that bring happiness to them. And doing that brings you happiness.
Liked these? Then you might like my post on the 101 most important life changing experiences in my own life. Check it out - click here.
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