Quantum Moments

I was thinking the other day about the moments in my life when everything shifted for me—when I made a choice that took me in a radically different direction. The first thing I thought of was my decision to leave the corporate world, getting off the track I had been on for more than a decade. I took some time off, worked for a non-profit, then started First30Days. I also thought about the moment I decided not to accept the proposal of a man I had been seeing for quite some time. My life would have been very different if I had said “yes.” Then I thought about my decision to come to the U.S. for grad school. I was living in Asia before and moving to a different country was a big change in direction.

In each of our lives, there are only a handful of key decisions—”quantum moments,” as I like to call them—when your path radically changes. A quantum moment can also be a dramatic emotional shift like forgiving someone, deciding to improve your self-esteem or committing to losing weight.

Becoming aware of these moments connects you to the role you play in initiating change in your life. What is your biggest quantum moment? Did you decide to get divorced or married, did you decide to adopt a child or did you quit your job or go back to school?