• Have there been any specific events in your life that have changed the way you view things? High School had a big impact on my life. I went on this awesome retreat called KAIROS. It changed how i thought about people, God, and how i wanted to treat others. I also got fired from a job (was re hired later), which was a big turning point in my life.
Did you view these events as negative or positive at the time they happened?
Both of these events had similar lasting impacts, but they were different when they first happened. When I got fired, i felt horrible and wanted to change everything about myself... When I went on Kairos, i felt like i was loved and accepted,and wanted to change for the better.
• What do you have as tangible proof of the major turning points and influences of your life? What kind of images and writings do you have that denote these events?
I have T-Shirts from the job i had, and I have a necklace that says live the fourth on the back of it from KAIROS. I also have proof in journals from KAIROS. I have more proof from both in pictures.
• When you think about major influences in your life, you may think of personal items that carry significance not obvious to the outside observer, but that act as triggers for your memory or are emblematic of the time, place, or people who have influenced you. Can you make a mental list of some of these things? Is there any commonality between these items? If you group these items together, what kind of a picture do they create about your life?
i think of a cross, a journal, a guitar, water, and pine trees.
They are very much God related... All of them are interconnected with what reminds me of, or what is my image of God. They create something to build off of..
• Take a few minutes to think about a major turning point in your life, an event that happened to you or someone else, or perhaps to the world outside of yourself, that you think has had an impact on how you turned out.
• Take 15 minutes to elaborate on this event, what happened, and how it impacted you. In what way are you a different person because of what happened? What were the positive and negative aspects of this event? What is the most important thing you learned about yourself as a result of this event?
A turning point in my life was probably when i was twelve. I had neighbors that were super into god (nondenominational christian) and i wanted to find that drive, that motivator for myself. So i asked to go to church. My mom wanted to try out these "episcopal" churches.. I had no idea what they were but apparently my grandparents who were British went to an Anglican Church back home, and my mom wanted to honor my parents. It turned out, being Episcopalian is the best religion that i could be involved in. I love Catholicisim, i went to a catholic school, sometimes i wish i was catholic, but #piscopalian is just the right mix for me. It's helped me in everything i do, been my guiding light in everywhere I go. The only negative parts about this are that my brother is pretty agnostic, and thinks religion is a flawed institution.. So its been a bummer having him dislike that part of my life, but i couldn't live without it.
• What makes turning points so powerful? turning points can make you a brand nedw person. and help you reflect on things, no matter how short the time, if you keep a constant reminder of your turning point, you might be able to change for good.
• What can you gain from a turning point? You can gain insights about yourself and life and maybe even start over.
• Have you experienced a change in the way you view turning points over time (i.e. did you experience a turning point as negative at first, then realized it had a positive outcome over the longer period). yes, sometimes things like breakups are super painful at first, but in the long run you can become a better person by getting over the person and moving on, taking some you time and starting over fresh.
• Do you think there are any turning points that have no positive aspects? there can be negative turning points. physical/emotional abuse or drugs, for example can lead people down a windy path.
Excellent - thank you.
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