15 Experiences That Will Change Your Life & Make You Mentally Stronger

Hey there, Aluer. Now, there are experiences in your life that will pass you by unnoticed at the time, but they go on to define you. One day, you'll look back and wonder how you ended up here, and you'll think back to these moments. Sometimes they're small and out of your control, and sometimes they're big and were created by you.

And you know, before we dive in here all the way, we wanted to let you know that today's daily session on the Alock app unpacks one of the main points we're talking about in this video. We're going to explore the neuroscience behind what happens in the brain when you take a high-stakes risk without any planning. It's a fascinating insight into human behavior and the biology of stress and reward systems. So, if you're interested in learning some more, download the Alux app from the app store, and then come back to this video and scan the QR code on screen to get a 25% discount off the yearly membership. You'll also get a 7-day free trial so you can explore and find the courses and collections that resonate with you before making your final decision. There's no cost to you upfront, and you get to enjoy seven days of value on us before you decide.

Okay, so with that said, as you hear about these 15 experiences, we want you to note them down. Look out for them, so when you experience them, you'll know just how profound they can be, and you can use their power and lessons all throughout the rest of your life. So here are 15 experiences that will change your life and make you mentally stronger.

1. Doing a long intense physical challenge. Every year, thousands of ordinary people pack up their backpacks and haul them across thousands of miles to hike some of the most challenging routes on Earth. They sleep in tents with coyotes howling at night, slide down icy mountains, and drag themselves through lands so hot and flat it can feel like each step is one step closer to the sun.

And many of them do it alone; the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Camino Francés, West Coast Trail—there are so many of them throughout the world. Some of them take months—months of spending most of your days walking with blistered feet and muscles screaming in pain.

And why? Why would people do this to themselves? Well, it's a profound experience. It's scary, exhausting, and all you have to think about is surviving—putting one foot in front of the other. In doing so, you realize what you're actually capable of. You learn how strong your mind is because while every part of your body will scream in pain and send constant signals to your brain to tell you to stop, your brain will do everything to get you to stop.

You know you can't. The you inside you wakes up, and it overrides every lazy instinct in you to keep on pushing. That experience changes you. Nothing will ever be this challenging again.

2. Holding on to a good friend through a hard time. Look, okay, friendships don't come with those inherent obligations and loyalty that come with family. It makes the choice to support a friend both more difficult and a lot more impactful. We've got a genetic link to our family that makes it easier for us to ignore a lot of their flaws and troubles. We're basically predisposed to showing them support and loyalty.

But we don't necessarily have that same thing with friends. The choice to support your friend or for them to support you through a tough time is one that you have to make every day. You don't have to be there for them, and they don't have to be there for you. But you learn to manage your own feelings while supporting them, and this strengthens your ability to cope with stress and adversity.

It deepens your empathy and understanding of human emotions. You support each other even when you don't have to, and that memory of that strength and sincerity will follow you through the rest of your life, always reminding you that when someone chooses to support you, especially when they don't have to, you'll feel like you are capable of anything.

3. Taking an uncalculated risk. Here at Alux, we often talk about the importance of taking a risk if you want progress. There will be times when you need to take a leap, but many of these risks are calculated, right? You look at the length and height of the jump, you mobilize resources to help give you a push, and you plan a safety net that will catch you. But what if you just did it with no analysis, no plans, no safety net?

It sounds pretty crazy, right? You're increasing your chances of failure by tenfold. But you know what? Nothing pushes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to step into the unknown faster. Suddenly, all of those tools and skills you didn't even know you had will rise to the surface. Your lazy brain that's been sleeping or coasting will jump up and throw everything you have in to save you.

And that's when you'll know just how much you're capable of. It's not something you do very often or something you do lightly, but you might face that decision one day. Just as you start to head into analysis mode, stop yourself and make the decision right then and there, and let's see how far you go.

4. Backpacking to a country where nobody speaks your language. Backpacking, traveling, and holidaying are three very different experiences. You'll get the foods and some of the cultural experiences with traveling and holidaying. But it's backpacking that will throw hardships and challenges your way, and that's what you want.

It's backpacking that will have you crying from exhaustion after 30 hours of traveling—hot, no air conditioning, delayed trains and flights, getting to a destination in the middle of the night with your phone dead, trying to find out where you're staying and speaking to a sea of confused faces because nobody speaks your language. What do you do then? Well, you'll figure it out somehow.

You do it, and again you just learn how much you're capable of. It's the challenges that shape you, not the vacation or holiday or sipping piña coladas under the umbrella. None of that really benefits you; the hard stuff will make you better.

5. A validation of your instincts. So throughout your life, you'll have these feelings about a situation or a person that will be kind of difficult to place or understand. Things won't seem right, and you won't be sure why. You'll probably push these feelings away and talk yourself out of having them, and one day you'll find out you were right all along.

That person or that situation wasn't good. There wasn't really anything that could have shown you the truth, nothing you could have seen or heard that gave a valid explanation for something feeling off, but it did feel off. And the moment your instincts are validated, you change. You start to trust yourself more, you stand your ground, and you feel stronger.

You can make decisions that you don't need to explain to everyone else.

6. Forgiving someone you probably shouldn't. The idea that you have to forgive someone is a myth. You don't owe it to anybody, especially not someone who hurts you deeply. Forgiveness doesn't lead to peace or relief for everyone; sometimes it can feel like a betrayal of your feelings and experiences.

And you know you can move on without forgiving the person, but if you do forgive them, it does change you, and it does make you mentally stronger. Because that forgiveness isn't really for them anyway; it's for you. But we can't sugarcoat it, alright?

The work of forgiving someone who's hurt you is long and hard. It's not actually the forgiving part that strengthens you; it's more like the process you undergo to reach that point. It's an overriding of your better judgment and survival instincts.

It's taking back some of that power from a mind that thinks ruminating and dwelling is what's going to save you when it only drags you down further. You still don't ever have to speak to that person again. You don't have to tell them that you've forgiven them.

But you'll know when you reach that point, and you can think about them without feeling any kind of anger, resentment, or frustration. It's mere indifference, and that is a great feeling.

7. Walking away from something good in the hopes of something better. Walking away from anything is pretty scary because you're entering into the unknown, right? Whether it's a job, a partner, or your apartment, leaving what you know can turn your sense of normalcy on its head.

Sometimes things are really bad, and you're basically forced to leave, but there are also times when it's good—really good! On paper, it's everything you could want, and yet for some reason, you're not happy. For some reason, where you are now isn't clicking and doesn't feel right.

So you have to walk away, despite everyone telling you that you've got a good thing going on here. It takes monumental strength to walk away from something good purely because you've got this feeling that it's just not right for you. But when you do it, and when that moment and experience come along that prove you right, you'll be a changed person.

You'll know and understand that you know what's best for you. Your self-doubt will simmer down, and you'll start to feel a sense of relief and peace.

8. Reading a book that changes your life. Look, here at Alux, you know how much we love reading and books and how much we think they are revolutionary to your life because there's a book out there that will absolutely change your life. It will change the way you think, behave, and live.

If you haven't read one yet, keep reading and searching because one will come to you. It could be fiction or non-fiction, a book that lives on the New York Times bestseller list or one that will never see more than a few hundred sales.

When you pick up the book, you'll have no idea what you're in for, but you'll turn to that last page a different person. It'll strengthen your ability to think critically and creatively. You'll develop your empathy and emotional intelligence.

It'll help you to understand your life better and inspire you to take action. But most of all, it'll be like a comfort and solace in the most difficult times, letting you know that although you might be alone, you are never on your own.

9. Paying heed to the wise kind words of a passing stranger. Now, this doesn't happen often, but it does happen more often than you think. You need to be looking out for it, though, because sometimes a complete stranger will be the wisest person you ever meet.

They'll leave you with a few words, and if you don't grab onto them, treasure them, and analyze them, you could lose the impact they'll have on you. It's the words of a precocious child who blurts out something that rings far too true, a genuine compliment from a kind cashier, the comforting words of airline staff, or words of wisdom from people playing chess in the park.

It can pass by so quickly, but there's a moment just after they say it where you feel a little better, a little lighter. Maybe you laugh or something clicks within you and you see a different perspective or you feel beautiful. Pay attention to those words and hold on to them.

You may never see that person again, but you'll always remember them.

10. The moment you make a childhood dream come true. When you were a child, did you ever look up into the sky and see the flashing lights of a plane and think, "Wow! One day I'd like to be up there looking down on the world." Or maybe you moved around a lot and all you dreamed about was having your own home, no matter how small. You just wanted it to be yours.

Whether you dreamed of summiting Everest, flying a plane, or buying your own home, there's a moment when you achieve something and you flash back to the memory of that child making that wish. That's the moment when you understand what it means to be proud.

You can go back and tell your childhood self, "Hey kid, we made it! We really made it!" You've done one of the things you really wanted to do, and you did it all on your own. It sets you up for success for the other things on your list.

11. Achieving a hard goal in a short time. Now, we often talk about setting SMART goals. Two of these letters are for achievable and time-bound. If you want to reach your goals, you have to make them realistic, and you have to give yourself a reasonable time frame, right? Pretty basic stuff.

But sometimes you can throw that handbook out the window as you start working on your goal. Maybe you realize you might be able to do it faster and better than you planned, so you push a little bit more, and then a little bit more, and you do it. You set a hard goal, and you nailed it in record time.

And this just goes once again to show you exactly what you're capable of.

12. Hearing a profound story you will never forget. Now, it could be a story from a grandparent who passed away a long time ago, something you read in a forum you've never been able to find again, or even folklore tales that someone told you in a bar. But it will leave a lasting impression.

Maybe it made you realize the reality of how the world works, maybe it made you see your full potential, or maybe it made you laugh or cry or, most importantly, think. Stories have always been a part of what makes us human and what connects us across cultures and generations. Look out for these stories.

Look out for the people who love telling them, and listen carefully.

13. Jumping over your baseline level of spontaneous action. Now, some people are naturally more spontaneous, right? Taking a detour to the beach on the way home from work is totally normal. For others, it's a big change that takes some courage.

So whatever level you're at, the moment you leap over it and just go for it, that's the moment you boost your confidence in your abilities. It's the moment you learn to think and react quickly and improve your ability to adapt to new situations or unexpected challenges.

It's a time for you to learn about risk, reward, and seizing the moment. All of these things are modules in a course on mental resilience within the Alux app.

14. Discovering that you hate something everybody else loves. Now, this can kind of feel like you're living in some kind of alternate world when everyone you know seems to love a certain experience, and yet you hated it.

It could have been a restaurant, a trip, an activity like paragliding, or a life path like starting your own business, or even a cultural belief that everyone follows but doesn't make sense to you. Learning that you are so different from even the people closest to you can shatter your world a little bit, but it also helps you grow.

You get to know yourself better because now you understand your preferences, values, and limits. This self-awareness gives you a stronger sense of individuality. It also makes you reflect on the reasons for your different response so you can sharpen your critical thinking skills.

You're forced to be very honest with yourself, and you gain confidence when you talk about the way you feel and defend it to others who feel differently. This is just a really good exercise in individuality.

15. The first time you buy something of exceptional quality. Now, if you grew up in a household that struggled with finances, you may have never had the opportunity to own something of exceptional quality. You might even think it's a waste of money, a totally unnecessary purchase, until the first time you buy something that is great quality.

If it's clothes, you immediately feel different when you wear them. It's more comfortable; it fits better, and that gives you more confidence. You develop an appreciation for craftsmanship, durability, and the benefits of investing in good products.

You even change your spending habits and lean towards saving up and investing in better quality things. Your thinking shifts from short-term benefits to long-term goals, and this mindset carries on to other areas of your life. It improves your discipline, your financial literacy, and it helps you plan and strategize.

Alright, so those are 15 experiences that will change your life and make you mentally stronger. But you know what? You stuck with us this long, you're getting a bonus. And today's bonus experience is actually a bad, failed relationship.

And this one is a tough one, and it's an experience that nobody should have to go through. But you probably will at some point. It forces you to look at the things about yourself that drove you to that person and kept you there.

It starts the work you have to do on yourself to unpack the things that motivate your choices. And as you do this work, you learn a lot more about yourself—what you want from life and how you can use your past to fuel you instead of hold you back.

You learn to spot and avoid the red flags. You learn that you can survive even in those toughest heartbreaks. You get to the point where you think, "What can't I do? You got through this, so truly you can go through anything."

And best of all, you realize who the good people are in your life, and you make an effort to spend more time with them. Your life gets more full, more exciting, and less stressful.

It's not a fun experience to go through a major heartbreak, like most of the other things that we spoke about here today, but boy oh boy, does it ever make you stronger.

And that's a wrap for us today, Aluxir. We're sure you've got your own life-changing experiences that have made you mentally stronger, and we want to know what those experiences are. So, please share them with the community in the comments below, and let's all learn from each other's experiences.

We'll see you back here next time, my friend. Until then, take care.