Many people, myself included, have experienced amazing things in their lives that make them light up whenever they reminisce about them. Although these experiences vary across the board, one thing that most of them have in common is that they were spontaneous or otherwise unexpected, rather than planned for.
The situations listed below are some of the peak things you might experience in life — some joyous, some harrowing — which can change you on a fundamental level. But, generally speaking, they just can’t be planned for.
1. Experiencing something truly amazing in nature.
The natural world is filled with an astonishing amount of wonder, and people have been marveling at its beauty for thousands of years. Stories from ancient civilizations like the Etruscans and Egyptians often revolved around nature and the stars, and people nowadays are just as awestruck by magical moments out there as our ancestors were.
You can try to plan for certain awe-inspiring experiences, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll unfold as desired. For example, you can book a trip to see the Aurora borealis in Iceland or Norway, but have that goal thwarted by cloud cover during your stay there.
You may find you’re much more likely to experience an inspiring but random encounter with a wild animal, see an extraordinary meteor shower, or witness the most beautiful sunrise of your life while you’re hungover in a Wal-Mart parking lot at 5 a.m.
2. Being immersed in music and having it change you as it washes through you.
Many of us have had the good fortune to experience an extraordinary moment where we’ve been deeply affected by music we’ve listened to. Depending on the individual, this might have been a transcendental moment while listening to opera or psychedelic electronica, or an incredible moment at a concert where a crowd of thousands sang together in harmony. Or perhaps it was simply a blissful, perfect moment listening to a classic 70s rock tune while driving down a dirt road on a beautiful sunny day.
These experiences can’t be forced, however: they often happen when you least expect them. The only thing you can do if you’d like to be affected by music in this manner is to broaden your horizons as far as the music you listen to goes. Try listening to things you’ve never heard before, or revisiting tunes from your youth. You might be in a terrible mood one day and suddenly have that shroud lifted by the right song at just the right time.
3. The birth of your child (or grandchild).
One of the most spectacular (and certainly life-changing) things that a person can experience is becoming a parent. Creating new life and witnessing it emerging into the world for the first time is downright miraculous, and can’t really be explained to anyone who hasn’t experienced that firsthand.
While people can (and do) plan pregnancies, many of them are unexpected surprises. Furthermore, unless a woman has a scheduled C-section, the birth itself will be a surprise as well. As such, miracles like the birth of your child or grandchild may be highly anticipated, but can happen at any time during the life-creating process.
4. Saving a life.
Although saving a life is quite a different situation from creating one, it’s an extraordinary experience nonetheless. Knowing that you’ve helped to save another living being with your own hands so they have the opportunity to live a little while longer is nothing short of miraculous.
Whether you saved another person with CPR or rescued an animal from a terrible situation, you get a massive rush of euphoria knowing that a living creature is safe and still around because of your efforts. Things get even better if you’re able to keep tabs on them moving forward, whether it’s remaining in touch with them yourself or getting regular updates from their caregivers.
5. Surviving an intense weather phenomenon.
Nature’s fury is extraordinary to witness from a safe distance, and terrifying when you’re experiencing it from within. Tornadoes, ocean storms, hurricanes, blizzards, and other intense weather events kill tens of thousands of people annually. As such, living through one is a peak (albeit grim) thing to experience.
I lived through an intense wildfire in California several years ago, and there were a couple of times when I honestly didn’t think I’d make it. The sky was crimson and looked like Mordor, the air was thick with smoke, and flames were literally blazing all around us as we drove out of one of the few rural roads that were still accessible. Living through something like that makes you really appreciate being alive, able to enjoy cold drinks and breathe cool, clean air.
6. A beautiful encounter with a random stranger.
I’ve had wonderful encounters with random strangers several times over the course of my life, but one in particular stands out to me: I had been living and working in Greece for a while, and experienced the rainy season while I was there. One day, it was raining quite fiercely, and I ducked into a small cafe to wait out the worst of the storm. This long-haired dude was sitting alone at a table, staring down at a chessboard, and I asked if I could join him.
He couldn’t speak much English, and I barely spoke any Greek, but we had a great time playing chess, drinking coffee (and ouzo), and communicating with a combination of awkward phrases and pantomime until the sun returned, bringing a stunning double rainbow with it. I never saw him again, but that memory makes me smile every time I think of it.
7. A surprise romance.
There are few things as magical and breathtaking as a surprise romance. You could be living your life, doing your own thing, and all of a sudden BAM: you meet someone and sparks fly. This usually happens out of nowhere, rather than a gradual relationship developing with someone from the marketing or IT department at work.
Instead, you might meet someone at a concert or on a train and feel an instant connection with them. Maybe you have intense physical chemistry, or you share a conversation that makes you fall in love with them right then and there. Whether this romance lasts a year, a lifetime, or just a single night, it’s a peak experience that you won’t want to turn down!
8. An intense spiritual epiphany.
There are many stories throughout history of people who have experienced intense spiritual epiphanies, from the Buddha’s enlightenment beneath his bodhi tree to anchoress Julian of Norwich’s revelations of Divine Love.
You might be hanging out with your pet, eating a sandwich, and letting your mind wander, and all of a sudden, you’re struck by a monumental spiritual epiphany. It may be related to your current spiritual path or something completely different, but regardless of the flavor, it will change your life forever, in ways you can’t even imagine.
9. A burst of creativity that results in a masterpiece.
If you ask an older artist, musician, writer, or other creative individual how their Magnum opus came into existence, few of them will say that it was through careful planning and curation.
Instead, you’ll hear stories about how they leapt out of bed because of a dream they had, and they spent weeks painting in a fever of creative inspiration, or how a song appeared in their mind fully formed, and they just had to get it out.
A flash of creative genius can strike at any time, and often changes a person’s life forever. This type of spark can’t be forced, however: it’s always spontaneous. If you’re lucky enough to have this kind of peak experience, don’t ignore it! Follow through with it to see where it takes you.
Final thoughts…
A person can be considered fortunate if they have one or two of these peak experiences over the course of their lives. To have five or more is incredibly lucky, and to experience nearly all of them is nothing shy of phenomenal.
Consider yourself immensely blessed if you’ve had the opportunity to go through these things, as they’ve undoubtedly changed you as a person, your perceptions of the world around you, and the lives of those you’ve interacted with afterwards. And hey — you also have some pretty spectacular stories to tell, don’t cha?
