Defining Moments, Just Prior to...Immediately Following...

"Moments Before..."For better or worse, when it comes to "defining moments" it's a common psychological experience to reflect on what led up to it -- the chain of events, emotions, and/or cognitions that brought you/us to "this moment in time". Sometimes prompted by questions from another (e.g., "What were you thinking?!), or perhaps through a group exercise (reflecting on where you were, what you were doing when the first man landed on the moon, when Kennedy was shot, 9/11, etc.) Frequently accompanied by a casual or stronger commentary, for better or worse ("this is what we've all been waiting for!" "this is what I was dreading"). Sometimes a simple reverie, others instructive, as in formal therapy, in trying to put pieces of a puzzle together as to whether why a "defining moment" was so defining, or what the impact was going forward...as in...

"Afterwards" After thoughts, effects. Ranging from "wow, that was...!" to "what just happened?!" to "don't ever want to repeat that again; I'm so over this...one and done...". Several others as well. The strength of the statements are frequently an indication of the relative impact. Sometimes immediately evident, whereas others only occurs to us way down the road, sometimes prompted spontaneously by association, and others only after a series of questions designed to brig them to the surface, as in a "therapeutic encounter"...

Both worth a look, worth some reflection..."now and then". So, what have yours been, what are the ones likely to come, the ones you might even prep for?