Peak Experience #378

Peak Experience #378

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I have to admit, I’m not really an adventure guy. I’ve never had a strong desire to go rock climbing, skydiving, or scuba diving. Sure, I’d love to tour Israel or Europe one day, but until then, I’m content with the occasional vacation and the routines of everyday life with my family.

Recently, I learned something during a Zoom call when the speaker introduced the concept of peak experiences. She encouraged us to remember a moment when time stood still, a moment when we felt alive and most like ourselves.

Then I replayed those moments and wrote them down. Then something unexpected happened. I could see them again, feel the temperature as if I'd stepped back in time. That is what a peak experience does. It reminds you of a moment when nothing else mattered, and you were completely in your element.

For many of us, those moments happened in childhood. Maybe it was playing outside in the dark, sitting in a tree with the breeze on your face, or chasing the ice cream truck for that rocket popsicle. You weren’t watching the clock; you were free and just living in the moment. Maybe that’s why Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:14 to become like children again and come to Him fully present and free from any distractions. The element we’re supposed to be in.

As I looked at my three peak experiences, I noticed a pattern. Each one revealed something about how I am wired. I enjoy preparing and working behind the scenes, but I also value being appreciated and recognized in public. I had never thought before that those moments revealed something I still carry today.

This exercise made me think, what if those moments were never meant to stay in the past? What if they were meant to be carried forward into the way we live and lead others?

As parents, coaches, and leaders, we have the opportunity to share those experiences and tell the story behind them. Let others see the joy on your face as you recreate the moment. When we do, we’re not just remembering our past; we could be opening the door to shape someone else’s future. If you can, try to revisit the location of your peak experiences with your kids, share the memory with them, and encourage them to explore and create their own.

I encourage you to write down your top three peak experiences and keep them somewhere you can easily find them, so that when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or unworthy of trying something new, you can refer to them. Put yourself there again, and remember you wouldn’t have experienced them if you were not capable of experiencing more today.

I realize those moments may seem small, but they are the ones that stay with us, shape how we see the world and ourselves. And in the end, those were the moments that shaped your legacy.

Today is your invitation to pursue more of those moments. To help your children discover theirs. And to walk with God in a way where time stands still again, and you settle into His peace.

Visit lighthouselegacies.com for help in living a generational legacy. Also, check out the Living Your Legacy Podcast.