Defining Moment
Written by: MARKEZZACKUI
I used to carry myself like the world’s most valuable player and then one day, when my swagger was at its finest… I slipped on a banana peel. Everything after that happened in slow motion; the slop was the beginning of a somersault; my world had turned completely upside down. In the midst of the somersault, I saw everyone I had ever hurt and lied to or tried to run some game on. These people where my audience as I turned through the air, and landed flat on my back. I lay there and saw the satisfaction on these people’s faces as I lay there and I thought to myself… Markezz, what type of person have you become?
The lesson I had learned was priceless. I learned that whether I agree with the person or not, everyone is
entitled to respect.
Lying on my back was a crippling position; it crippled my pride and crippled my ego. I was humiliated and embarrassed. Frozen stiff from the shock of what had just occurred in my life, I looked up to the sky and knew I had reached a turning point. I knew I couldn’t get back on my feet alone. I knew I had to be sincere and ask for help. Markezz had experienced humility. I also knew that once I got to my feet again, I’d never be the same. My perception had been drastically altered. This was a defining moment.
The lesson I had learned was priceless. I learned that whether I agree with the person or not, everyone is entitled to respect. I learned that whatever I put out into the universe will surely come back to me. I learned that while it is a blessing to have talents and a vision, these things can be taken from me if I continue to make adolescent decisions. I learned that each and every person, place or thing has value and, if I don’t add to that value, I essentially cheat myself in the long run. I learned that I am only human.
I wish for my story and my pain to be an example for people worldwide to know that they don’t have to wait for negative consequences to define themselves—the decision can be made now.
This was a spiritual awakening to the highest degree. I was defined by a mistake I had made. I understood this thing called life and my place within it. I have to become a servant of my creator—more of a wise man than a “know-it-all”. Although I am not out to make intentional mistakes, I have to make allowances for error. There’s no way I can be perfect. I have to be firm in my beliefs, yet flexible in my approach. My heart has to remain an open channel and I must have the courage to compromise. I have to answer to responsibility and live with integrity. I know for certain that I have grown on the inside for I have been defined.
My defining moment increased my desire for change and my desire to want to live my life for something more. The direction and approach towards life that I had taken stemmed from false belief systems, as well as a nonproductive attitude. The result of this was more pain and misery than I needed and I lost myself and became someone other than myself. I wish for my story and my pain to be an example for people worldwide to know that they don’t have to wait for negative consequences to define themselves—the decision can be made now.
