Six months after being shot I was essentially paralyzed, I could only move my right thumb, and as I was lying helplessly my father looked at me and said, “I am not going to help you, get a job.”  Being incapable of holding a urinal, feeding, or dressing myself, I found myself at a turning point. If I could not take care of myself, and my father abandoned me and laughed on his way out of the hospital room, then I could use my negative circumstance for a positive purpose.  Feeling so small and helpless I realized how big the world is and how much help it needs. I remember reading a quote, while I was in college that read, “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.” Introverting would be suicide as there are no other life forms there, I had to expand outward.  This was a turning point where I could choose to shrink or, take responsibility and move onward.  Although my journey is ongoing I have learned about the power of turning points,  discovering untapped potential, and aiming high.

Turning Points

Andy Dufresnex said, “I guess it comes down to a certain choice.  Get busy living or get busy dying.“ Adversity is a turning point to make a choice, prepare to suffer or prepare to overcome.  Additionally, bystanders observe from the sidelines to see how you react to adverse circumstances. If you react negatively, you will receive a negative reaction from your environment.  Alternatively, if you react constructively you will receive a positive response, in a negative circumstance. Individuals will tell people about your character and will to help yourself and someone will see your actions as proof that you are worthy of helping.  With that said, situations in life are neither positive or negative, they are turning points and it is up to you to react constructively and create a proactive environment for yourself. According to Robert Greene, “An opportunist in life sees all hindrances as instruments for power.”  Times of tension and chaos are turning points that open up new doors to be called upon. When fear is set aside, and the call is answered, you will set off on a path that is uniquely your own.  In this new life you will discover new needs and avenues of contribution.

Discover Untapped Potential

Max Stirner said, “I am the owner of my might, and I am so when I know myself as unique.”  As human beings we are supposed to be evolving creatures however, many people choose to be discouraging by focusing on problems and not solutions.  That being said, people’s opinions can be turning points as well. Your opinion of yourself becomes your reality. If you have all these doubts, then no one will believe in you and everything will go wrong.  On that note, you cannot let other people declare what you are capable of. Nobody knows your capabilities, willpower, or problem solving abilities and in fact, your abilities and potential could be a mystery to yourself.  Every hardship, and point of adversity, should be used as an opportunity to push beyond your limitations and discover more about yourself. Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Life is not worth living with you or not finding meaning and life experiences and growing from them.  Every moment, whether it be good or bad, is a small piece in the bigger picture and it is worth examining. Often times individuals find the meaning of life’s moments in retrospect so it is more beneficial to identify the meaning in the moment. In this way, turning points come often and life is never stagnant.

Aim High

Your sense of who you are will determine your actions and what you will end up getting in life. If you see your reach as limited, that you are mostly helpless in the face of so many difficulties, that it is best to keep your ambitions low, then you will receive the little that you expect.  Knowing this dynamic, you must train yourself for the opposite. With that said, you should aim high and believe that you are destined for something greater than your expectations. Your sense of self-worth comes from you alone, never the opinions of others. With the rising confidence in your abilities, you will take risks that will increase your chances of success.  People follow those who know where they are going. With that said, the more people you rub shoulders with the more turning points will be revealed.