It really can be this good
I met someone last week on the way back to my hotel from day 2 of a festival. And I asked them “what’s the one phrase you’d use to sum up the last few years of your life”. They said that after everything they’ve been through, the ups and downs, the crazy days, the normal days, there was one thing that stuck with them whenever reflecting on their experiences. It was one thing that allowed them to really appreciate those special moments in life.
“I didn’t know it could be this good”
And it got me thinking. When we’re in our element—totally immersed in the moment, whether that’s music, sport, or anything we’re truly passionate about—we can acclimatise to the feelings it gives us. We get used to them. We forget where they take us, what they make us feel, the emotions they release.
From the calming, euphoric sensation of two-stepping to your favourite deep-house DJ, to the rush of hitting a life goal, we become so accustomed to going through the motions that the joy can slip away.
So I asked myself: How can you go somewhere or do something special and still feel as if it’s the first time? How can you keep saying, “Damn, this is new—this is incredible,” every single time?
Maybe their words came from spending so long unable to capture those moments for themself. Only when they’d finally broke free of whatever held them back could they give themself fully to each experience—no partner hovering in the background, no distraction stealing the spotlight, no self-imposed limit because tomorrow’s schedule awaits.
It dawned on me that we often run our lives like a workplace: always another task once one deadline is met, never fully present because something else is around the corner. It’s not anxiety so much as FOMO—fear that we’re missing out on something better.
Looking back on that six-day festival, one theme kept surfacing: moments make memories, and memories write the story we call life. And if we’re truly being spiritual, we are only ever given the experiences that are meant for us. It’s our first time living this life, and our only time living this life. So we never miss out on anything that we weren’t meant to see.
What if we could surrender ourselves to not knowing what will happen. What if we could surrender ourselves to the excitement of the unknown. The journey that ensues. The feelings that wash over us. The pure joy at feeling at peace when all we hear is the music and all we see is the love in the air, surrounded by the best of people. What if we could totally surrender ourselves to the experience of experiencing.
What if we surrendered to not knowing what comes next? What if we leaned into the thrill of the unknown—the journey, the goosebumps, the peace that settles when all we hear is the music and all we see is the love in the air, surrounded by the best people? What if we gave ourselves over to the sheer act of experiencing?
Then another question landed: Do we chase the experience to feel the high, or do we chase the high to create the experience? I’m convinced it’s the former.
Every experience is new and utterly personal. We might stand at the same festival stage, hearing the same track, but the way it hits my soul is mine alone. The energy we emit—broadcast without even trying—draws the places and perspectives we’re ready for, each one poised to hand us a fresh high.
And what if the phrase I didn’t know it could be this good isn’t about single moments at all? What if it’s about the life we build? Each chapter we write, every new friend, every track we discover, video game we finish, comic we devour—each brushstroke adds colour we never planned, precisely because we let go of control. We stop choreographing life in steps 1-2-3 and let it flow. Then we pause, breathe, and look around.
Wow. Could it really be this good?
Yes.
There’s a certain beauty in not knowing what a moment holds. The unpredictability of life, the mystery of what comes next, is what keeps it fresh, exciting, and full of potential. If we can surrender to the unknown, to the unfolding of each instant, then every moment becomes a revelation. It’s like walking into a room and being surprised by what you find, even though you've been there before. Being present in every step you take, no matter how familiar the journey might seem. The key isn’t in trying to predict what will happen next, but in trusting that whatever comes is meant for you, that it’s part of the journey. The true magic is in the discovery, even in repetition. In surrendering to that, we give ourselves the chance to truly experience life as it is, with all of its unexpected beauty and surprises. When we allow ourselves to let go of expectations, to simply be, we open up space for new layers of experience to unfold. The trick is not in waiting for the perfect moment but in making every moment the perfect one. It’s all about recognizing that every interaction, every song, every conversation can feel like the first time. The feeling doesn’t have to fade with time—it can deepen, become richer, if we let it.
The more I write, the more I recognise that this mindset isn’t easy to hold onto. Our lives are filled with distractions, with the pull of tomorrow’s tasks, with the pressure to always do more. But by taking a moment to step back and realise that everything we experience is fleeting, we realise the beauty of now.
Don’t chase perfection. It’s more than that. It’s about finding the perfection in the imperfection. The joy comes when we stop looking for it and instead let it find us in the simplest of moments. Whether it’s the hum of a conversation with someone new, the perfect rhythm of a favorite track, or the stillness of a sunset, those fleeting moments become the foundation of everything we experience.
In the end, it’s not about living for that one moment at the festival, that one perfect day or feeling. It’s about accepting that every day holds the potential for the extraordinary. The real magic is in how we choose to experience it. We are constantly rewriting the story of our lives, and every new chapter opens the door to another moment we can dive into wholeheartedly. And perhaps the most liberating part of this journey is that we can choose to let it be the best moment yet, no matter where we are or who we’re with. Because in the end, we’re writing this story, one moment at a time.
Photo by Ferry Saputra on Unsplash