Life Altering Moments

I did a 2 week silent retreat a couple of years ago and it changed my life.

After 14 days of silence I was a different person. I listen more now, talk less. Other people tell me I'm a brilliant conversationalst. Not because I talk but because I listen which makes me the most interested person in the room. The person the most interested in other people. This whole experience made me aware of the need for others to be heard. We have so few listeners in the world.

Anyone else have a life altering experience?
One that changed how you view the world?

 

when I was younger in high school I used to spend weeks at a time in the mountains high up in the Olympics by my self just to reload get away getting back to nature sit and take the time to watch the circle of life and learn to not take things for granted and how to truly be free and live in the wild

not sure if that counts or not

 

I learned so much about life while facing death, holding death in my hands, It truly changed who I am, and how I live life! To see a man holding onto some small shred of life, while it is slowly escaping his grasp is the most life changing experience I have ever had. To have a small part in saving that man's life forever drives me!!! I cannot escape who I am, I embrace it, own it, make it mine!!!

 

Going to a third world country when I was 20 and seeing what poor really meant.

 

I have had a number of life altering events throughout my life time, starting with asking Jesus Christ into my life.
That was the best most significant positive one .

Once while working on a relatively flat car port roof, I was using a push broom sweeping backwards as to not break up the old material any more than necessary . I steeped right off into mid air and in that moment could see the ground in front of me and felt as it were a big sheet behind me that pushed me back on the roof .
In those days I weighted roughly 190 lbs and played football and wrestling in High school, as well as doing construction with my dad during the summer. It wasn't wind that pushed me back on the roof.
I have seen many miracles through out my life, and seen lives changed ,healed and stress relieved .

 

Looking back I can now see that fighting for my life was what saved my life.

 

Yes. I had one.You can read about it in my upcoming book. The Million Dollar Da$h. Reserve a copy now.

 

The birth our first child was and still is life changing.

 

A pistol aimed at my face that just went click. I knew then I had just received a gift.

 

Standing at the border between East and West Germany back in 1981, like looking into a black and white movie from a color one. Suffered from depression for 2 weeks.
We are quickly becoming a black and white movie here, it makes me very nervous!

 

Wow. Truly inspiring events everyone. I can't say I've actually had one myself, at least none that would compare to the ones described above. I do feel as though I try to put myself in other people's shoes often. I can't watch scary movies because of this . It's awesome you all were able to take events like this and use them to better you. Thanks for sharing!

 

yes

 

Bad habit of nearly getting killed did a lot for me.

 

Apology in advance for a long winded tale...

I had a good friend from HS, the kind where I would stay over at his place, we'd play ping-pong all nite, set off illegal fireworks, fix each other's car kind of friend.

He stayed in town, went to University, I had my deferment pulled two years into my degree program (another long story for another time which explains my still seething hatred for bureaucrats) so joined The Force. This was to at least maintain the illusion that I has some control over my own life.

While back @ my hometown on leave in route to a new duty station, my buddy Ron dropped by. We had a nice long chat. He'd graduated and had a good job, was working gigs on the weekend playing his trumpet in a local band and was, for all appearances, going well.

A month later I got a note from my folks that he'd killed himself. Several years later I was able to run into a mutual bud to get the full story. The reason for his death was even more disturbing owing to the (to me) trivial nature of his 'problem'.

It was gut check time for me.

I'm still pi$$ed at Ron for throwing his life away over something so stupid as to be sicking. It also taught me to pay attention to what people are saying. I played our last conversation over and over in my head - and in retrospect, I missed a couple of big flags... I can't undo what is done - but I can damn well make sure it never happens again to/with anyone I know.

It took my losing a bud, and it was a lesson I will never forget. There is more truth to the saying - A friend in need is a friend indeed - than you might think....

/rant

 

Pulling the trigger on a 1911 I that had in my mouth should have been a life-ending moment...

Watching as the friend who was trying to talk me down gently took the gun, recocked the hammer and fired the gun successfully into the air was a life-altering moment.

The sunrise was especially beautiful that morning as I resolved that I no longer had any doubts about the existence of God, that my life was indeed in God's hands and that while every day may be a good day to die...it's an even better day to live.

 

Wow! My little epiphany and issues seem so small now! I'm truly glad that you folks all survived that, often terrible, moment!
I was at my post, on a 2nd Infantry Div. Guard Post, looking into N Korea, when they decided to throw a few 14.5mm Heavy Machine Gun rounds at us. One of those rounds hit a sandbag about two feet from my head! Now, this bag had probably been filled in about 1953, this happened in 1967. Those bags were as hard as rocks, all the time, and frozen to about -30*F when the bullet hit it. It literally disappeared as a sandbag, instantly! Debris hit me and the concussion threw me to the ground! No real wounds, just peppered with sand!
As I lay there, two things happened. First, I was awe struck by what a beautiful day it was! My face didn't hurt because of the brisk frostbite turning my flesh to ice, in fact the cold felt great! I've managed to, generally, appreciate and enjoy life since!
The other thing was, wow, I must be growing up! I didn't pee myself! Haven't since either, at least not from fear. Like I said at the start, pretty puny, huh.