If you had to sum up what you most wanted out of life in a single word, could you do it? Take a moment to think about it. Which word would you pick?
I started thinking about this last week, and without a doubt, my word would be transcendent. It’s a great word. The dictionary defines the term using these phrases:
- Going beyond ordinary limits; exceeding; surpassing. Superior or supreme
How are those for words describing your desired life? It’s extraordinary and outstanding taken to a new level. And the word captures another special element — the sense of connecting with something deeper and more meaningful, something beyond yourself.
Here’s an obvious example of a transcendent day. In February of 2004, my wife and I got to visit the Grand Canyon. Being 6-months-pregnant, she sent me off on a day of adventure while she enjoyed the chance to read and relax. Naturally, I decided to hike from the Canyon rim, to the river, and back in a single day.
I started out just as the sun was coming up in the morning. Because of the time of year, the upper trails were still ice-covered. But a pair of strap-on crampons got me past the ice with no problems. And what followed was sheer majesty.
I hiked through the awesome splendor of the canyon, all the way to the river, before I saw another living person. The picture to the left I took early on at the corner of a large switchback.
Now, as amazing as that experience was, it was just one day. It would be hard NOT to have a transcendent experience hiking through the Grand Canyon, surrounded by beauty. But can we experience transcendent experiences in every day life? I have, in things like:
- Watching my three daughters play together in our back yard on warm summer evenings
- Experiencing the feeling of success after struggling with — and then solving — a difficult challenge at work
- Giving to someone who is in need with no thought of ever being repaid
- Staying up long into the night to provide encouragement and advice to a friend pondering a major life decision
We need more transcendent experiences in life than the occasional trip to the Grand Canyon, the ocean, or the country can supply. And they’re available. They’re more about the attitude inside of us than the terrain around us. They’re more about what we choose to give than was is expected of us. And they’re more about the riches we can’t measure than the cash in our pockets.
A transcendent experience begins with eyes that are open, ready to find beauty and wonder in whatever life brings us. Watch for those experiences every day; better yet, help create them for others.
