crossroads

today i read elder christofferson's talk Moral Discipline. in his intro he recounts an experience that president faust had--about which he said, "This was one of the critical crossroads of my life."

that got me thinking. i wondered, what are the crossroads of my life? here is (a shortened version of) the list that i came up with:

1. skipping 4th grade. at the time i wasnt too keen on the idea. who wants to leave behind all their friends, their playground, their classmates, their reputation? what would people think of me? how would i make new friends!? whats the point? well, well, well! its a good thing mother knew best. it boggles my mind to think what my life would be like if i was still "a year behind"...if that even makes sense. :p and of all the people/friends/classmates/study buddies i would NOT have met/befriended/studied with, had i stayed in that 4th grade class. i am SO grateful i consented.
2. maceys thanksgiving day parade. deciding to march in this parade affected so many aspects of my life. had i not gone, i wouldve missed out on several profound opportunities to develop my testimony. these were life-changing experiences we're talking about here. :) a few ripples of this choice: a solidified trust in god, a greater understanding of how to receive answers to prayers, a knowledge of the power in the scriptures, and an opportunity for some of my childhood dreams to come true.
3. math 113 at 7 am. i distinctly remember this crossroad. it was a little over a week into school...my second semester at byu. i got a call from a friend and he was trying to convince me to switch to his section. it was at 7am. and this was wintertime. so its still very dark (and cold) at 7am. i thought he was crazy!...who does that!? well it turns out, i do. :p i ended up switching. why is this a critical crossroad? we were study buddies...so that meant we spent A LOT of time together. studying. but his influence and example has made me a better person. i appreciate him for that.
4. being a SOAR counselor. i absolutely loved it. my own soar experience wasnt an amazing one. in fact, it was a disappointing one. so i actually wasnt even planning on applying to be a counselor. but i did. and i met so many wonderful people. i gained an appreciation for the mss office. i learned how to be a leader and to work in a team and to plan/execute activities. i also met eva. who met jennie. who is the reason i live where i do. :)
5. choosing my major. as an ee i am trained to be logical. even though i was already born that way, my formal education has enhanced/sharpened/polished those natural traits. so that makes me even more logical. and detail/number -oriented. also choosing this major got me into ecen 391r, which got me into immerse, which has given me internship experience. this one will be fun to see where it takes me...

so thats the end of my shortened list. it was helpful to reminisce and reflect on the critical crossroads of my own life because they explain who (and where) i am in my life. you should try it. :)

"The decisions you make will

profoundly affect life now and for eternity."

-Richard G. Scott