Hello everyone there,
Many people will happily tell you about their life changing experiences. They'll recount stories of events that completely changed their outlooks on life. They'll let you know how a particular day changed their feelings about faith, self or some other important matter. They'll tell you their secrets because they experienced something that completely transformed their perspectives and that shifted their paradigms.
But what really makes a life altering experience? What's the difference between learning a lesson from observing something that's happening to you and experiencing one of those magic moments when all of the cosmic tumblers just seem to click into place?
Outside of those experiences characterized as religious epiphanies, there are some common elements to most of these "big change moments".
First, they often involve completing an ongoing realization. They involve a certain moment in time where a significant issue finally became clear after a great deal of consideration. They mark a point of completion in the thought process.
Second, they have unpredictable triggers. Some people may find a life changing moment in the midst of high speed collisions. Others may experience "the moment" while eating an ice cream cone outside on the steps. You can't make a convincing argument that any one type of event or experience sets these moments into motion. It just doesn't seem to work that way.
Third, the message received is almost always positive. You never hear anyone say that their life changed when they finally realized that the nihilists were onto something! You're not likely hear about a transformative experience involving the realization of something a negative universal truth. These things are positive. That seems to resonate much more than does negativity.
