Another significant moment in Anguilla’s history that has the potential to drastically change its course will soon be upon us. The upcoming General Elections will present yet another opportunity for the populace to decide which direction Anguilla will take and who will direct its affairs for the next five years. The questions that confront us are: who will it be? And which direction will the country take? These questions can only be determined by you – the electorate. You have the power and it lies in your hands. Will you leave it to chance? Or will you do something about it?

History will recall that your forebears of 1967 were also faced with this dilemma. They too had to make a decision. They knew the fate of their beloved country was in their hands and it was up to them to do whatever it took to make the difference. So, how about you? Are you willing to stand up and be counted? Will you get involved in helping to decide your destiny as a people? Or will you be a spectator? Think seriously about it for you cannot afford to sit on the fence or relax. This is a decisive moment in your political history. The time to take action is now. You cannot afford not to vote. Your vote could make a huge difference in determining your country’s destiny. This could be a defining moment in your country’s history.
Think for a moment about your personal life and what it might have been if you had done nothing to move it forward to the point where you are today. You see to propel us forward we had to take action. Can you recall any of those times, the actions you took and why? Is there a moment somewhere in your life when you can look back and say, "Without a doubt, that one moment in my life determined who I am today"?
Individuals who are interested in their personal development are often more likely to be able to locate a defining moment in their past, perhaps even several. But the vast majority of people go through life without awareness of the power of the defining moment. The majority of people are unaware that there are defining moments in their lives.
What is a defining moment? You may ask. A defining moment is a point in life when decision meets action. It is that pivotal moment in your life’s history that defines or redefines the course your life will take and steers the course of your life to the point you are now.
Throughout history, every human being at some point in his/her life is faced with at least one pivotal life changing experience. Some will even experience a series of events that change the course of their personal history forever. Those experiences are known as their defining moments. Defining moments are when a transformation or radical shift occurs inside you and you are never the same afterwards.
The examples of defining moments in your life may be endless. Can you recall any? If you can’t at the moment, use your imagination and find them in your everyday life when you get a chance. Every day we have defining moments that are created by action. Small or big, these moments determine who we are to a large extent. As human beings, we were designed to take action and because we value action and loathe inactivity, we can determine the most powerful defining moments in our lives.

The Bible gives us countless examples of people who had defining moments as well. Jesus had to make the decision of going to the cross, Queen Esther had to make the decision to go before the King, Job was told to curse God and die, David had to make the decision to face Goliath, Moses had to make the decision to go to Pharaoh, Joshua told the people – choose whom they will serve, they had to make a decision. Pilot had to make that decision about what to do with Jesus, Ruth had to decide whether she would go with her mother- in- law back to Judah. The children of Israel had to decide whether to leave Egypt or not. They all had to make serious decisions. They had to make a choice! Those choices had dire consequences. Those decisions were their defining moments. Decision, action, result!
Quite often, our defining moments are thrust upon us unexpectedly. You may have been going about your day to day life when something happens that causes a shift.

For others, there is another type of defining moment - the type of moment that originates from within by making a clear, conscious decision. A decision that originates with the desire for change!

For the Father of the Nation, Ronald Webster, it was the unjust treatment of Anguillians. His defining moment altered the course of Anguilla's History.
For Rosa Parks, it was on a bus in Alabama. Her defining moment altered the course of American history.
For Mother Teresa, it was to devote her life to serving the poorest of the poor. Her defining moment led to a Nobel Peace Prize and a legacy of contribution on a global level.
The one thing each of these legendary figures has in common is this - Decision. They made a conscious decision to make a contribution beyond themselves. They set their goals despite the enormous odds against them. They committed. They took the necessary actions, no matter what, to see them through.
What about you? Will you help take action in helping to chart Anguilla’s course in this upcoming General Election? You see, there will come a time in our life that we will have to make a decision and that choice will determine our eternal destiny. Right now in our country’s history, we are called upon to make a decision. It is a defining moment- our defining moment. What will you do with it? You have the same ability to consciously make a clear, conscious decision. You can decide your destiny.
We have to make a decision as to which direction to go and who we will choose to lead us. We have to make a choice. We cannot afford not to. These are serious times my friends. It is not time to play games. If you leave it to chance it could be detrimental!
You see, there is a defining moment in every person’s life. So when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment or the moment will define you.
We must realize the power of the seemingly little decisions we make all day, each day. Decisions that happen in a blink of an eye carry with them the consequences that will shape our personality, determine our integrity and control our destiny. These snippets of time are our defining moments. How will you choose? Who will it be?

Remember we cannot change the past, but “our defining moments” will change the future.

By: Marilyn Hodge

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