“Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do or what you have.” Matthew Kelly

There are moments in life that change the course of everything that comes after. These pivot points change the person we are, and our way of life will never be the same again. Moments like this are necessary to growth. Often the process of change must be jump started by a significant or traumatic event.

The key to a transformative event is change. A person is primed for change by their environment, in one way or another. People, as a rule, are generally resistant to change. Thus, a large impetus is required to enact a large change. Pivot points are the moments when the world presents us with this impetus.

Pivot points are in some ways moments of forced adaptation. Getting fired from a job puts you in a position where you need to find a new way to pay the bills. This is the perfect time to find out what you really want to be doing; chances are you will be better at it. In adapting, you become a better, faster, stronger version of yourself. Then you move forward, until the next pivot point presents itself.

When we realize the person we are is not the person we want to become, we change. Most people only engage in this type of introspection when big things happen. There is no reason, however, that you cannot examine yourself every day. The littlest thing in life can become a pivot point if looked at properly.

It is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in China can cause a hurricane in America. This is the essence of chaos theory; that the smallest change in events can cause drastically different outcomes. It is easy to see the results of the big pivot points.  Transformation happens in every instant, however.

Missing a traffic light can result in a person being late to work. Then they end up getting fired, and need a new job. Before you know it they have opened up their own business, moved to Germany, and invented cold fusion.

These moments of chance, or destiny as some would say, can move our lives in ways we never realize. The more we examine them, the more we realize how events shape our person. Our habits, our friends, our jobs, and all other things that we put our hands to are extensions of ourselves. We can act upon it, and it acts upon us.

What events have shaped your destiny? Was it the loss of a loved one, or meeting your spouse? Did it change you for the better, or for the worse? The most important question is: how will you respond to life’s pivot points?

Additional Resources

J.D. Moyer, Pivot Points: http://jdmoyer.com/2011/12/12/pivot-points-when-youre-done-being-broken/

The Art of Manliness, What Man Hasn’t Squandered a Life Changing Event? http://artofmanliness.com/2011/11/20/what-man-hasnt-squandered-a-life-changing-event/

Experience Life Fully, How to Find Yourself: http://experiencelifefully.com/how-to-find-yourself/

Bangs and a bun, My Top Five Life Changing Moments: http://www.bangsandabun.com/2011/08/my-top-five-life-changing-moments/

Distinguishing and Moving with Transformative Moments: http://www.pacificintegral.com/docs/transformativemoments.pdf