The Mountaintop Moment

An Experience That Rises Above Our Day-To-Day

I like to think that we’ve all had at least a few of those special moments that make us feel like there’s more going on than meets the eye.

I’m calling them “Mountaintop Moments” today, but they’re often described in other terms, too.

Like Serendipity: a spontaneous and otherworldly coincidence that brings pleasant outcomes.

Déjà vu: Those moments when you experience something or someone you’ve never experienced before, but it feels like a memory or a revisiting of something deeply known.

Or an Aha moment: An enlightening experience where you suddenly understand something in your gut and not just your head… A bridging moment where a connection is recognized between two things. 

Let me tell you why I’m calling it a Mountaintop Moment.

First of all, there’s a long history and mythology of spiritual seekers taking to caves and mountaintops in order to seek truth and salvation. The mountaintop has become a symbol of the deep existential connection and commitment to something beyond oneself.

And, secondly, when my professional path opened up, I was literally on a mountaintop.

See, as a young Massage Therapist considering a transition into counseling, I couldn’t find the right school for a while.

I wasn’t looking for just any psychology degree program.

I knew I didn’t want to follow the typical western psychology approach, and I knew I wanted to focus on spiritual living and awakening as well as profound healing.

All of my Google searches came up dry as I typed in every combination of “spiritual counseling graduate school” I could think of.

Then I had my spontaneous and unexpected moment.

On a trip to Portland, Oregon, to visit a friend, that friend and I took a journey up to the top of a mountain.

As I observed the view and the playful echoes of other voices and my own (perhaps you know of Council Crest Park), I met a woman who doesn’t know that she helped me choose the next direction for my life.

She told me she was a therapist who had studied a spiritual approach to mental and emotional health called Transpersonal Psychology.

Finally, I knew what to type into Google!

After reading about this approach that explored consciousness, spiritual growth, and what it means to be human “beyond the personality,” I knew that was the direction for me.

After researching every school with a transpersonal program, I decided to attend the same school the woman on the mountain told me she’d attended years before.

Taking Charge of Our Choices

Every moment and every choice has the potential to be a bold branching off point into new horizons.

But if we’re honest, most moments and choices keep us moving in the same direction like a hamster on a wheel, helping us avoid fear of the unknown and stay close to what’s comfortable (and reasonably so).

This moment in Oregon opened up a totally new horizon for me that would lead to stories, friendships, independence, and new forks in the road.

I may not have ever encountered these new choices without that Mountaintop Moment, where I was effortlessly presented with the answer I hadn’t been able to find before.

These moments can make us feel alive and connected in a rare and special way.

My hope is that reading the words on this site will be a Mountaintop Moment for you.

If you think this might be one of those turning point moments for you, get in touch and let’s talk about it.

Call (804) 404-5593 now, and let’s set up a time to chat.