Life on the Peak

What does it mean when a person says “I’ve peaked?” Is it referring to a point in your life where you are the highest and happiest you’ve ever been and will ever be? A point so monumental that it masks the rest of your experiences and dooms the ones that don’t exist yet? A steep incline and steep down climb, with a sweet spot in the middle that made your life purposeful? And once that experience is over, down the mountain you go to live the rest of your life, knowing that you’ve already lived the best of it?

Why can’t we live on the peak; wake up to a sunrise above the clouds, feel the power of the sun on our bodies, be the first ones to see the moon awaken and be greeted by so many stars that the sky looks white and the Milky Way is touchable? Why can’t our whole lives be on the mountaintop? Why can’t we sit on the tallest peak in the world every second of everyday and realize that our life is a gift?

My peak rests on enchanting green forests and rushing clear rivers that are lined with wildflowers that bring me a sense of nostalgia and euphoria. Within these colors and landscapes however lies the most important and beautiful part of my small spot on the top of the world — the company of people whose peaks mirror mine.

People that attract sunlight, make flowers bloom, find four leaf clovers, discover music in silence, embrace those they care about, dance with the wind, hold hands, keep dirt in their bowls, do cartwheels in the tall grass, and make a room feel full with their laughter. People who seek and people who feel. People who choose to surf on the melody of their lives, rather than wait for the tide to reach them on shore. People who destabilize and inspire others to do the same.

Be that person for yourself and be that person for others, and you will live on the top of the world forever. Where you are in the world contributes heavily to the quality of your life, but the people that are alongside you and your perspective are the differences in how tall your peak is and how far you can go. You can and should make everyday feel like a gift, because tomorrow is not promised.

At Moondance training, JP told me that if the stars had never come out but finally appeared one night, everybody would be celebrating the beauty and rarity of them until the sun rose. But since we see them everyday, we are reluctant to do so. Comparatively, the people we were surrounded by at training are not people we see regularly, and are rather spurts of joy passing through. Because of this, he said, we shouldn’t take a single moment with them for granted never say no to an opportunity.

You can be on your peak everyday and see everyone as significant, as long as you view the days and them as such.

You can be on your peak when you are literally on a peak of a mountain in the Tetons or Patagonia, scuba diving with sharks or meeting your idol. You can also be on your peak when you are eating a good sandwich, playing hacky sack at the airport,  working with a coworker you like, helping a stranger or cooking with your roommates. Whatever it is, it is yours—and you can choose whether to make it meaningful or not.

Subconsciously, I have been on my peak everyday, and will continue to live on it, gasping for air but never suffocating. Never knowing whether the wind is bringing tears to my eyes or the disbelief and awe I feel that this is my life.

Maya Kollme

6/5/2025