DEFINING MOMENTS

Over the past few days I’ve attended my speaker association’s national convention here in Australia.
There’s a wide variety of speakers who attend, from emerging to certified speaking professionals, to our global leaders, all with a very diverse range of  topics, styles and platforms.
 
But what bring us all together, what creates those magical moments, those change-making conversations, is the sense of community and the power of story to connect.

The conference theme for this year was defining moments, and as a speaker and Theatrepreneur I have certainly had my share of defining moments – moments in time that transformed either my speaking or my business.

At this convention, I finally got the chance to share two of those transformative moments with the people who helped create them. Neither of them knew that the words that they had spoken at the time, the gift of presence and support they had shared, had created those powerful moments of definition for me. So for them to hear of my experiences, and to be on the receiving end of my gratitude, was unexpected and heart-affirming.  The fact is, both instances happened over five years ago, and it has taken me a while to be in a situation where I could offer my thanks.
 
I wonder if you have ever considered those defining moments in your own life – those moments in time when someone has gifted you the perfect words to turn your life around. Perhaps you, yourself, have been the giver of those words, those actions, the support that has created an aha moment, a defining moment, for someone else. 
 
We don’t often know when we have activated someone else’s epiphany – their aha. But wouldn’t it be a wonderful experience if we were to discover how we have made a difference in someone else’s life?
 
So why not take a moment to reflect on your personal defining moments. Who was the hero in that story for you?
 
If you haven’t already done so, maybe it’s time to reach out to them, to thank them.
 
Because your recognition of your defining moment could also be theirs.