Rare and radiant moments remind us that life can be astonishingly beautiful.
Let me introduce a concept I hold close to my heart: Glorious Life Experiences.
These are moments that pierce the ordinary. They remind us of what’s possible in life—not someday, but right here and now. They’re not about material achievement, nor about numbing pleasure. They’re about something more primal and profound: the sheer aesthetic experience of being alive.
Glorious Life Experiences (GLEs) are those rare flashes when the world feels perfect. When time slows down, the light shifts, and something eternal leaks into the present moment. We feel suspended—aware of being fully alive, outside of ourselves and yet more deeply ourselves than ever.
GLEs Are What We Live For
We, as humans, have a rare gift: not just to exist, but to appreciate existence. We don’t just perceive our lives—we can step back and feel our lives. We can savor. Reflect. Stand in awe.
In that sense, GLEs aren’t just nice surprises. They are the distilled essence of what a good human life can be.
GLEs are distilled motivations for why we even want to live.
They’re the golden hours, the goosebumps, the tears that rise up when words fail.
These moments can seem mystical, but they’re rooted in very real things: music, nature, art, accomplishment, intimacy. And they’re not about escape—they’re about connection with existence. They feel like a stamp of approval on life itself, even if just for a moment.
- Sometimes it’s a thunderstorm rolling across a field.
- Sometimes it’s making love—and feeling love in return.
- It might be a new idea clicking into place, a song at the perfect moment, or the feeling of having created something good.
- It could be the smell of garlic on your fingertips, or the sound of pine trees shaking in a storm.
- It could be suddenly “getting” something that once felt beyond your grasp, or crossing a finish line you never thought you’d reach.
These moments. They aren’t just “nice” things. They’re transcendent, if only for a flicker. They’re unpredictable, but when they occur, they remind us that they’re not impossible.
We Need to Be Reminded
I try to communicate Glorious Life Experiences to remind people of what is possible in life. Too often we get torn down by the grind. We forget that the world holds beauty. We forget that joy is real and possible.
But the stars you see tonight twinkle over other fields than these. There are other kinds of lives. There are perfect moments. There is wonder. There are possibilities—and GLEs confirm that those possibilities are real.
One of the core purposes of Life Savor is to bring these reminders to light. Because we don’t just need motivation to live—we need examples of how great life can be. We need reasons to believe that life can be worth it. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
Excerpts from the Life Savor Book:
- “Glorious Life Experiences (GLEs) are special moments when we experience the world as perfect—when the light is golden, a breeze is blowing through the trees, clouds are moving across the sky, and we just stand there being in the world.”
- “GLEs feel like scenes from a deeply meaningful movie—except the movie is our own life. GLEs enchant us with what the world can be.”
- “Ecstasy means standing outside of oneself without ceasing to be oneself.”
—Paul Tillich - “I was overcome by this profound awareness that no matter what might happen in my life, to live was beautiful in itself.”
—Marcello, as quoted by Piero Ferrucci
Rare, But Real
GLEs don’t happen every day. But that’s part of what makes them special. They’re glimpses. Reminders. And if we stay open—if we release expectations, if we breathe, if we look around—GLEs can find us.
- You might be sipping coffee by a window when the light hits just right.
- Or laughing with a friend you haven’t seen in a long, long time.
- Or standing at the edge of something vast, and realizing you’re okay.
“Being nuzzled by our morning-eager dogs and with a brand-new sun above snow-capped mountains, it was impossible to ignore how delightful it could be to be alive…”
—Stephen Levine
This Is Why We Live
Glorious Life Experiences aren’t just emotional highs. They’re motivations for life itself. They remind us of why it’s worth continuing. Why it’s worth caring.
GLEs speak directly to the soul—not with facts, but with feeling: which is often the most compelling fact we can have about life.
GLEs remind us that life can shimmer—that all is not desperation and frustration.
They say: This is why you’re here. And it’s good.
So dive into something that sets your soul alight—or sit still and let the beauty find you.
Take time to feel the sun on your skin. To notice beauty, to contemplate meaning. Take time to savor one tiny thing—or to make progress on what’s most important to you.
The world, despite everything, is capable of shimmering. Glorious Life Experiences prove it’s so.
→ Want more?
You can watch the short video version of this reflection here.
And if this stirred something in you, I’d love to hear about one of your own GLEs in the comments—or feel free to share this with someone who might need the reminder.
For more like this, visit the broader project at life-savor.com, or explore the Life Savor book itself.
To learn more about Life Savor’s philosophy,
read Life Savor: Treasuring Our Gift of Life by Erik Victor Reed.
