A user asked the forum, What was a choice you made that changed your life forever? Here are the common responses.
BECOMING A NURSE
“25 years old, working as a waitress/bartender for 5 years, went down to the local community college one late August day to just get some information about how to become a nurse.
I sat down and talked with the professor, who, before I could even think about it or change my mind, signed me up on the spot, and a year later, boom, I was an LPN.
Fast forward 6 years later, I was an RN, now it’s 30 years later, and I’m still at it!! But it gave me a good life and the ability to save for retirement (hopefully in 18 months!!).”
CALLING OFF A ENGAGEMENT
“I was engaged at 24. We called it off a mutual decision. She went on to eventually marry and have 2 kids, and raise a beautiful family. I moved out of state, and worked for three beverage companies that all ended up getting bought.
Not retirement money, but it allowed me to travel, live in full amenity lofts in downtowns and go to every concert festival I wanted. I realized I wasn’t the family person and glad we didn’t get in a situation that would have been detrimental to everyone, especially if we got married and had kids.”
JOURNALING
“At one of the lowest points in my life, I decided to start journaling and do one small drawing every day. Two years later, I’m still doing those drawings.
I’ve never been very good at sticking to things, but I managed to stick to this. This small achievement gave me confidence, and I was able to use that confidence to affect change in my life for the better. I’m now starting a new job this month, and my life is looking much brighter than it did back then.
It seems silly, but I really do feel like that small step towards discipline and daily productivity really helped change my perspective and outlook.”
BUYING A DOG
“I chose to buy a dog. That little chihuahua and my mom saved my life. I was in a deep depression with plans for suicide. My mom convinced me to get a dog. She gave me comfort and companionship. There are two awesome kids that wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t followed my mom’s advice.”
LEAVING HOME TOWN
“There were several things along the way that changed my trajectory. I left my hometown and my best friend, who decided to become a drug addict. Quit smoking and hanging around low-motivation people.
I got a science degree that allowed me to earn a comfortable living. Cut my mom out of my life, who had put me down constantly since I was old enough to remember
Married my very normal stable husband and had children with him.”
QUITTING SUGAR
“I quit sugar. Anything that wasn’t fruit. I was the unhappiest I had ever been in my life, and I told myself, “Just one month.” Every hard day, I just said, “One more day.” Then I kept going, eating healthy, no processed foods, and working out day by day; I gained momentum. I lost over 100 lbs (probably 150 lbs, but I never weighed my starting weight. I imagine it was close to, if not over, 300 lbs).
This completely changed my mind, body, and spirit. My friends asked, “How did you do it?” I said, “I stopped lying to myself”. I was wishing and hoping to be “skinny” but was eating and treating myself like crap. Sugar did not make me happy. Processed foods did not make me happy.
When I finally took control of my life, I lost the weight, and my mindset shifted to: “I want to be healthy,” not “skinny.” I gained a little bit of weight during covid, but now back on track. I have never felt better in my life. I grew up fat; I was always “fat,” and I now have a lil more chub than I would like, but I am happy and healthy and not too hard on myself. It just takes one day, day by day, but you have to do it for yourself. Only you can do it for yourself. The hardest thing is facing the reality of your choices and habits.”
BECOMING A FATHER
“I had just broken up with my gf and realized I had no reason to stay in my city anymore. All my friends moved away, so I said, “I’m traveling to Europe.”
I got my passport and had all my plans set up. Then on Father’s Day, I got a text from my ex. “Happy Father’s Day” was a picture of her ultrasound. For about an hour, I had a dark thought. “I could run…I could go to England and just disappear, kid be damned.”
But that went against everything I was raised to be. So I decided to stay, got back with my ex, and had a son. I’m a single dad now with a 4yo and a 3yo. I’m glad I stayed; I could not imagine what life would be like without them. Can’t imagine what she would be like as a single mother ’cause she became a raging alcoholic after our daughter was born.”
CODING BOOTCAMP
“Applying to a coding boot camp. I went from being a broke stripper to an upper-class salary working white-collar jobs in months.”
DECIDING TO WORK IN THE UK
“Made a spur-of-the-moment decision when I was 18 not to go to school for what I had planned for my entire teen life and applied to work in the UK for a few months. It completely changed the trajectory of my life and led to a series of other gut instinct decisions that gave me the life I have now that I absolutely would not have if not for that first choice.”
MARTIAL ARTS
“Choosing to participate in martial arts was a decision that forever changed my life. It had a profound impact on various aspects, including the way I talk, walk, and perceive myself. Martial arts gave me more confidence and transformed my mindset.”
NOT BUYING CIGARETTES
“11 years ago, I decided to stop buying cigarettes. I was a pack-a-day smoker for 17 years. I said I’m not quitting; I’m just not going to buy any today, and if it lasts a week, a month, a year, then great. But I didn’t want the pressure of quitting, and hey, it worked. I don’t miss it at all.”
QUITTING DRINKING
“Quitting drinking. Hands down the best decision I’ve ever made.”
PRACTICING DELAYED GRATIFICATION
“Practice delayed gratification instead of instant cheap gratification.”
THERAPY, GYM, AND QUITTING SMOKING
“Therapy, Lifting Weights, hitting the gym, stopping to smoke. Thinking positive, don’t be pessimistic.”
GETTING A MASTER’S DEGREE
“Going to get my master’s degree. I was on a path of poverty even with my bachelor’s degree. Now I’m on a very comfortable trajectory and can afford a decent life for myself and my family.”
MARRYING HER BOYFRIEND
“My then-boyfriend, who was my childhood sweetheart, looked at me and said “want to go to the courthouse next week and get married? We can tell our families later”. I said yes.
Then I invited his parents and siblings and best friend, and I invited my favorite sibling and my best friend. The best had less than 15 people in attendance at the wedding.
We celebrated ten years in April. We have a baby due in August. It was the best decision I ever made.”
SAYING YES TO OPPORTUNITIES
“I decided when I started college to start saying yes to opportunities and to interact with people more often instead of being paralyzingly shy.
My reasoning was that no one would know who or what I had been in college, so being someone I knew would not look fake or phony. Life immediately became less stressful and more fun. That has remained the case ever since.”
HIKING
“On my 40th birthday, I quit my job to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. After I finished the hike, I sold my house in the city and bought a small wilderness cabin and never made it back to work.”
MESSAGING A STRANGER
“Messaging a stranger to tell her she genuinely made me laugh in one of the darkest periods of my life. They have been together almost 9 years, married 5, and have a 5-year-old. Life has its gifts.”
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The article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.