This weekend, while out for dinner with friends, we stumbled upon one of my favorite conversations starters, “Where were you when . . . ?”

Our friends had gone to Graceland for a summer vacation and as we mused about their trip, the question came up, “Where were you when Elvis died?”

It continued. Where were you when . . .

  • JFK was shot?
  • Bobby Kennedy was shot?
  • Martin Luther King Jr. was shot?
  • The firstperson walked on the moon?
  • The US Hockey Team beat the Soviets in the 1980 Olympics?
  • Prince Charles and Princess Di were married?
  • The Challenger Exploded?
  • Princess Di was killed in a car accident?
  • Prince Died?

I could go on!

The real fun, of course, is less about “where” you were and more about the story and the emotional impact around the news.

Furthermore, how many of us take the time to process those major life events that not only affect our lives but affect our world?

According to Dr. Izzy Justice, in his book E-Powerment, we average adults have about 80 life experiences per year that make a notable impact on our lives. Simple and not so simple events like births, deaths, marriage, divorce, moves, careers changes, or even something as common as a new person joining or leaving our team at work could be a life-changing event.  Dr. Justice goes on to explain that if we would take the time to process them, meaning write or talk about the impact, we would gain wisdom.

“Without processing and learning from our experiences, we are missing out on great opportunities to learn from life, and thus we are missing out on living a much richer and fulfilling life. This is one of the more powerful ways to increase your EQ as well. Processing an experience means to reflect on it, discuss it with someone objectively, figure out the lessons, see how others have handled it, and make a proactive plan to integrate those lessons in your life.”  Dr. Izzy Justice. Epowerment (Kindle Locations 2091-2094). iUniverse. Kindle Edition.

Unfortunately for us, Justice predicts that we only process about 3 of those 80 rich learning experiences each year.

What are you doing to remember and process the “Where were you when . . .” notable moments of your life? This week, take the time to reflect and discuss some of the events of your life whether they are personal or on a global scale and increase your potential for brilliance!