They say timing is everything, so these people apparently missed out on everything.
1. Getting in shape
Getting in shape. It's obviously great for you physically, but you don't really realize how great it is for you mentally until you've done it. Biggest confidence boost in the world.
WakaFlakkaSeagulls & CrimsonPig
2. Being friendly
Being very friendly to everyone. You have to be extra careful with people that try to take advantage of it, but man, the doors it opens for you. It's amazing.
Being a lovely person really pays off.
3. Prepping the night before
Prepping my day the night before. I pick out my outfit, make sure my lunch is packed, have my breakfast easily readily, and make sure I take the things I need for the day (letters to be delivered, shopping list, etc.) I am not a morning person so I make sure I can do my mornings with as little effort as possible.
Alternatively, getting up 2 hours before you actually have to. It's really nice having enough free time in the morning to play some video games, watch a few episodes of your favorite show, or go somewhere for breakfast.
It makes going to bed easier too, because you know that you'll have some time to goof off after you get up.
The only hard part is that it requires the discipline to go to bed at a reasonable hour and then wake up early.
4. Going to therapy
Talking to a professional about my mental health problems.
5. Ending toxic friendships
Ending unfulfilling friendships.
6. Pancakes with chocolate chips
A lot of these are really inspirational and deep, but honestly I hate that I waited so long to start putting chocolate chips on my pancakes.
7. Meditation
Meditating every day. In the beginning it's like why the f I'm doing this I look like a spiritual wannabe, this is pointless, this is stupid... My mind is racing and seems I can't get through the thought storm they just pop up of nowhere and very fast and there's such a mess... After five minutes (Continued)
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after 5 minutes, thoughts lose intesity. After ten minutes I'm calm. After fifteen minutes I'm like "This is working, wow!". After 20 minutes I forgot why I was thinking so much in the first place and forgot about the I. After some months of everyday practice, I notice how thoughts are tools that can make a better and happier me. And I started to recognize the patterns. I call them "thought traps". So I meditate every day to remind myself that thoughts are not me.
8. Being on the right anti-depressant
Being on an Anti-Depressant that works. it was like HOLY CRAP, this is what normal people feel like?!
9. Switching to men's razors
As a lady, switching to men's razors.
I am never, ever, going back.
10. Using wet wipes
Using wet wipes on my bumhole.
11. Doing things immediately
Not procrastinating.
My life changed for the better in so many ways when I made the decision to stop putting things off and grab the bull by the horns.
12. Flossing.
The dentist always asked me how often I flossed, and I would lie. Then my gums would bleed from him vigorously flossing them for me. I soon learned (Continued)
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I soon learned how to properly floss, and how to remove any gunk in my teeth. To this day, my teeth ALWAYS look perfect!
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13. Saving money.
If you just have a separate account where you can dump a little bit of money out of each paycheck, it's pretty easy to save.
14. Squats.
Just 30-50 squats a day and my bum is so much higher and firmer after only a month! It's kind of crazy. And now I feel stronger and my knees don't click as much. Who knew?
15. Cooking nachos the right way
Cooking nacho in the oven with a broiler instead of the microwave. A true game changer.
16. Quitting smoking
I quit smoking cigarettes 2 years ago and I've honestly never felt better about myself.
No more feeling like death in the morning. No more standing in the cold or rain to have a smoke. Plus this has been said before but I have so much extra money to spend on beer now.
17. Writing in pen instead of pencil.
Mrs. Jenowith doesn't like it, but whatever. I hated sharpening pencils. So much free time to play pogs with Brian and ransom his bike.
18. Running.
It took me a few weeks to get into without feeling close to death, but damn. Once I did... (Continued)
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I still suck at it, but I can do it. The cardiovascular improvement alone is worth it. I like being able to run up steps now without doubling over in pain.
19. Eating steaks medium rare.
Always had them well done at home. Moved out, wife introduced me to what I was missing out on. I weep for my past self.
20. Oral B
This battery operated tooth brush was a life changer for me. Teeth feel like I just left the dentist office every day. I can't believe people still use conventional tooth brushes.
21. Geocaching
I have travelled many times before, but little did I know that there were hundreds of small boxes nearby!
22. Rock climbing.
Started 5 years ago at age 29. It has completely opened up the world to me. Started camping, traveling, saving more money, getting in better shape, made me mentally super strong, destroyed depression, crushed my mood swings.
23. Listening to podcasts.
24. Washing my face properly
I used to have horrible skin through out most of my life, no matter the face wash I used I had painfully red pimples and like those aggrivated ones that sort of form like a mount Olympus on my cheeks and for head. So my confidence was (Continued)
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My confidence was non existent and the majority of the day all I did was hide my face from people and try to find different ways to cover it up. All it took was rather than using my hands I swapped over to a wash cloth with deep cleaning facial soap, it was rough at first and hurt because my skin was always sensitive from the acne. But now I literally rarely ever get break outs anymore, the extra exfoliant from the texture of the handtowel must've worked in the soap more. Sounds simple as shit but it was like a break through for me.
SavageDax
Wearing yoga pants.
Comfiest pants ever.
25. Drawing
I learnt to draw in five days using a book called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" because it was referenced in some TedTalk and on the first day I was copying mediaeval woodcuts in almost exact detail. It also made my friends say "Holy crap, why didn't you start doing this sooner?"
26. Leaving my hair natural.
Drying and straightening my (thick) hair takes about 2-3 hours, going with my natural curls takes a few minutes to spray and scrunch it with a towel then it's done. The only downside is it takes 4 hours to air-dry so I can't do that at night.
27. Telling people I love them
I was super in love with this girl from high school, but I was too shy to tell her. I always thought, "now's not the best time" or "maybe she'll reject me" or whatever. There were a million excuses and I fed into every one of them. We got older and moved away to different cities for university, then eventually stayed in those cities for work. We talked occasionally online, and whenever we were in each others' cities or back in our home town, we would meet up. Being with her was the most natural, comforting, exhilarating feeling I've ever had. I'm sure if you've ever met a perfect match you'll know the feeling.
Anyway, I didn't tell her how I felt. And one morning, I got a call from her mother to tell me that (Continued)
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to tell me that she had suddenly died in a car crash. Her mother said, "I just have to tell you one thing, and I know she was shy but she would have wanted you to know that she was so in love with you."
10 years ago and I still think about her every day. How it could have been different. How I regret not telling her. There are so many regrets I have around that. Now, I tell everyone how I feel. I tell my friends and family that I love them all the time. I tell people how much they mean to me, because you really never know.
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28. Shaving my head.
Hair, is some bullcrap.
No more buying shampoo. Or conditioner. No bed head after getting up in the morning. I feel far less disgusting before my morning shower. Wind is no problem. Hats are no problem.
Man, eff hair.
29. Using a menstrual cup.
If you're considering it... do it!
30. Stopped drinking.
I was putting down over 3 pints of whiskey per day. Went to detox and I'm so glad I did. I didn't realize just how badly it was affecting multiple aspects of my life. Haven't had a drink in over three weeks. Lost a few pounds too.
31. Trekking alone.
You become a different person when you are trying to conquer a mountain all by yourself.
Image source: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley / Shutterstock.com
Article source: Reddit
It’s weird how much stuff we let slide when we’re kids. Even if you look at the TV shows we watched back then, we had such a high threshold for the bizarre (early 2000’s Nickelodeon, anyone?). So it’s no surprise that some of us straight-up didn’t react when we saw weird crap in person.
Here are a few wild examples of seemingly harmless things we saw as kids that would be horrifying to see now. Brace yourself, this one gets crazy.
Kids and water aren’t a great mix sometimes. It can get real gross, real quick.
Not worth the tranquility.
I've always loved the tranquil feeling of being under water. When I was a kid I would just hold my breath and float around. Sometimes adults would think I was drowning and run up and scoop me out. I don't remember this (it was when I was pretty young) but my parents have told me about it
I used to think it was a funny story... people thinking I was drowning when I was just trying to relax
....until I watched a video explaining child drownings and yeah, the way I acted in water looked exactly like a drowned kid.
I don't think it's funny anymore.
Uhhhhhh.....ew?
Renee Zellweger Water GIF by Working Title
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Flood water. It was fun and games for the kids, and we even splashed around in it, much to the horror of our parents (who immediately scrubbed us down). We didn't understand then, but now, oh wow...sewer, insects, rats, parasites, etc.
That’s actually hilarious.
My friend and I were walking along the road in about thigh high flood waters. A small boat with two men comes up to us. We were about 9 years old and I think they were National Guard. Anyway, one of the men asks if we remembered exactly where the manholes in the road were. We answered no. He told us that all of the covers had most likely been washed away in the flood but not to worry because it would probably only take them a few days to find our bodies if we were sucked down one of the holes by currents they produced. He spoke in a matter of fact tone and then left.
As an adult, I have zero doubt those two men had a good laugh as they looked back and watched us nope out of that water like two roadrunners in a cartoon.
Edit: It was Fish and Game Wardens. The NG didn't come until later.
Not to mention the crazy injuries that kids somehow are constantly surrounded by.
Had a jogger get hit by a car outside my house once when I was about eight or nine. My nephew came running inside yelling at my parents and my sister to call the ambulance because he was bleeding pretty badly.
I could even see him from our playrooms window and I wondered what he was doing lying on the grass. Turns out he was bleeding out pretty badly, deliriously yelling at my parents when they tried to help.
Eventually, an ambulance came and picked him up, but my parents always told me he made it out okay. The day after, in the spot he was found someone had put a lily in the grass in a vase.
It took me longer than I care to admit to figure out he died from the hit and run.
How sharp were they, though?
A kid f*cking sharpened his fingers with an automatic pencil sharpener at grade 2. Everyone didn't know what was going on until the teacher started freaking out.
I just remembered I tried to stick my finger into electric pencil sharpeners as a kid and disliked how my fingers were too big to fit in it. What the hell was I thinking?
Rock climbing can definitely be dangerous.
scared george costanza GIF by HULU
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We did climbing in PE (sixth to eight grade). Like rock climbing and we had to do our own harness and stuff. PE teacher (supposedly) checked it after we were done to make sure it was done right. One day my neighbor broke an arm and leg because she wasn't properly strapped and fell.
This was at an international American school in Egypt around year 2000, for all those wondering what type of school does rock climbing.
Kids are, in fact, made of elastic.
We used to jump of our roof. First time hurt a little, but after a few times you learnt how to land.
Did it regularly and would try various items as 'parachutes' to see if it slows you down any.
I look at that height now and wonder how the hell we never broke anything - kids bones are more elastic I guess.
It’s amazing what adults can get away with right under kids’ noses.
A casual hit-and-run.
car japan GIF
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My babysitter was running late to take me to piano lessons and rear ended an old man at a stoplight. She told me that he must not have noticed because he didn't get out of his car. I thought nothing of it, and she drove away and took me to my piano lesson.
I forgot about it, and it didn't click until I remembered the incident years later that I had been unknowingly involved in a hit and run.
Big yikes.
Not so much something I saw - but when I was 5 or 6 I was at a family wedding, and there was this really friendly adult guy (who I didn't know) who told me he was really worried about his nice new car in the parking lot and how he wanted to check on the car but didn't want to leave the wedding.
He asked if I could go check on it and he would pay me $5 just to go see if his car was "okay" being that age $5 was a crazy amount of money so I couldn't believe my luck.
On the way to the parking lot, my mom intercepted me and was absolutely horrified, I remember not understanding why, like trying to tell her no she had it wrong he was nice and paying me! And as an adult now I'm like that's so messed up and I wonder how close a call that could have been.
Go grandma!
Until the age of 12 my grandma had custody of me. I used to sleep with her and she slept with a baseball bat next to her bed. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized she did it dads friends wouldn't be able to do anything to me.
Dad was a drug addict and drunk and when he was out of prison he had all kinds of people in and out of the house. You would never know what would be missing the next day - often my Nintendo :(
She did everything she could to protect me from God knows who/what and I had zero clue!
Edit: Damn this blew up while I was sleeping!! Thank you so much to everyone for the support :)
Im adding extra details to help understand the situation.
My grandmother was born in 1914, had a third grade education and was a housewife her entire life. She was already 71 when I was born! My grandpa died when I was 4 and it was just her and I. We lived in a tiny 2 bedroom house in a terrible neighborhood. It was paid off and that's all she could afford. She lived off of the social security death benefits from my grandpa and food banks. She couldn't just "leave" and go anywhere else.
Also, for those suggesting she should have called the cops - cops don't do anything if you say "I'm scared these guys will do something bad" cops have to wait till something bad happens.
She did her very best and raised my right! Now my father is back in prison (shocker) and is pissed at me for not letting the past be in the past and welcoming him with open arms. Meanwhile I'm a 2x college graduate with a great job, my own house and recently married! She definitely did something right. Unfortunately she died when I was 12. Id give anything to be able to tell her how grateful I am to her for doing everything right.
We see some scary stuff as kids. No wonder most of us are so messed up years later. Often these things don’t even register as something terrible- a lot of times, the things we witnessed were just a part of life.
The best we can do is to take our trauma, and learn from it, so we don’t pass it down to our own children. Because kids don’t deserve it- they deserve to have happy childhoods and not think about the horrors of the world.