People Explain How An Accident Completely Changed Their Lives
Reddit user NoFile9376 asked: 'What happened by a total accident but changed your life completely?'
Life can change in a moment, but sometimes, we're not even aware that it's in the process of changing.
Right in front of our eyes, we've taken a job, met a person, or purchased a product that will change our lives in a big way.
Or on the negative side, maybe we're having the unluckiest of days, where we feel the lowest of the low, only for it to lead to something incredible.
The point is, there's no telling what incredible thing is around the corner waiting for us, or what small moment will lead us there.
Redditor NoFile9376 asked:
"What happened totally by accident but changed your life completely?"
Unique Opportunities
"I went for a coffee with a friend before he went out to pitch a TV show in LA. He asked what I was up to, and I mentioned the comic book I was planning to write."
"His pitch went well and the studio asked if he had any sci-fi ideas. He pitched my idea, and a month later I was in LA with a bunch of agents and managers wanting to sign me."
"We got close with that sci-fi concept, and I worked in LA on and off for about a decade working on a lot of cool stuff that never got made, but I got paid very well, so I can’t complain."
"It was basically ‘Oceans 11 in space,’ and it still gets dusted off every now and again. It’s one of those things that everyone loves but never gets made."
"When the pandemic hit, I started writing comics and have been doing that for a few years now. I have a new movie spec script planned for the new year, so I guess we’ll be taking that out and see if anyone bites."
- MikeSizemore
Unappreciative Bosses
"The water main leading into the house burst, requiring the contractors to lay a new pipe from the street into the first floor. I had to clear everything out, and then go get jugged water to last a week for a family of four."
"I asked to take the afternoon off work so I could take care of this, and they said it would be a write-up for an unexcused absence."
"This p**sed me off to no end because I had recouped hundreds of thousands of dollars that my predecessor had lost and generally unf**ked their processes."
"Not really intending to quit, I rage-applied to jobs just to blow off steam and landed a new job with a $30,000 pay boost, WFH (Work From Home), and complete schedule flexibility."
- pinelands1901
The Power of Saying 'Thank You'
"I got into some trouble while very, very drunk."
"When I got sober, I wrote a thank you note to someone who treated me really well and urged me to get help."
"He was friends with the editor of the local newspaper and thought my letter was well-written. He asked if he could show her and I said yes, then kinda forgot about it."
"A few months later, the editor came to find me to offer me a part-time job filling in for someone."
"I've been working in journalism ever since. The pay sucks, but I love it."
- LizardPossum
A Smooth Career Redirection
"Getting my Class A commercial driver's license."
"I basically tried the majority of work that an individual can get into with a GED (General Educational Diploma)."
"I randomly searched the internet for truck driver jobs out of curiosity. The top of the list was a small form to fill out. A recruiter called me within five minutes. They set me up with a bus ticket to their training facility two states over and lodging for the duration."
"All I had to do was bring enough cash and clothes for a week. They paid enough to feed me the rest of the training. I had an over-the-road job lined up for me right out of training. All I had to do was stick it out with that company for at least a year to cover training costs."
"Boom, entry into a skilled labor field at d**n near no upfront cost, and a guaranteed minimum one year of incredibly valuable experience. This was back in 2008."
"And for what it’s worth. I didn’t even own my own vehicle yet back then. And I only tried manual transmission vehicles twice for maybe 10 minutes total prior to learning how to drive a 10-speed."
"Now, I can simply email or walk into a job that interests me with my resume and my experience speaks for itself. I don’t have to sell myself to an employer. They have to sell the job to me."
"I'm currently about to start up with a local company less than a five-minute drive from home, hauling mostly oversized loads up into and out of the mountains. It’s the highest starting wage I’ve ever had, with a guaranteed multiple dollars per hour raise once I demonstrate I can do everything they’ll need me to do."
"The moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to try something new or different. You might just be great at it."
- tumblevv33d
Going Surgery-Free
"When I was younger, I had a neurological condition called hydrocephalus, which required me to have a shunt in my brain to keep me alive, and every few years, it would break or get infected and have to be replaced."
"About 20 years ago, I developed an infection that my neurosurgeon refused to take seriously, so it wasn't properly diagnosed for about two years after I moved away from that hospital and ended up in the ER."
"Long story short, thanks to some faulty medical equipment that by some weird coincidence wasn't doing its job properly, while I waited for surgery, we discovered that I wasn't actually using my shunt and I didn't need it anymore. So surgery was canceled, and once the infection cleared up, I was sent home."
"It was a really, really awful couple of years, but it ultimately gave me my life back. I'm now 15 years surgery-free and as much as I hate the way it happened, I wouldn't change a thing because if it had happened any other way I would have just had another brain surgery, and then another, and so on."
- NotAngryAndBitter
A Mysterious Lump
"My mother went to the doctor for a routine exam and her doctor noticed a bump on her arm my mom passed off as a cyst. She removed the bump, which she also believed was a cyst, and sent it for a biopsy to be safe."
"Results came back and they weren’t really sure what to make of it. It wasn’t cancer but it wasn’t nothing either."
"Turns out she had a very rare cancer that appeared benign but behaved malignant."
"The doctors had no idea how to treat it, even reaching out to other doctors all over the world."
"She died two years later once it had spread all over her body."
"The kicker is they believe if the initial bump would’ve been left alone it wouldn’t have spread and killed her."
"It’s been two years, five months, and 17 days since she’s been gone, and I will never stop missing her."
- Khaleesi1998
A Second Chance
"I made a left turn instead of a right turn when I noticed a restaurant I liked had closed. I reopened it, and 35 years later, we are still going strong."
"It's not especially heartwarming, but it changed my life as well as my wife, my kids, and 28 employees' lives."
- bbqtom1400
The Choice to Stay a While
"I was working in a large state park as a guide/docent while finishing up my geology degree. I was only interested in science, talking about rock types and tectonics and whatnot."
"It got cold and windy FAST, and snow started coming down and soaking my clothes. I admittedly was not prepared and ducked into a cabin I came across that I thought would be empty."
"It wasn’t. There was a historical interpreter doing traditional chair seat weaving in the cabin. Fire in the hearth and all."
"He said, 'Take your shoes off and stay a while.' Let’s just say that MULTIPLE years later, I own one of the most respected furniture restoration businesses in the state and specialize in antique Appalachian rockers."
"I visit the old man in the nursing home weekly. I go out to the cabin once a month or so to relax and demonstrate to passersby. I took my shoes off and stayed a while."
"P.S. Geology is still cool."
- Most-Cow-2474
The Other Guy
"I accidentally accepted a friend request of (my now husband), thinking it was another guy I knew with a similar name. I was ignoring the request before."
"And the rest is history. We've been married for 12 years, now with two kids."
"The website was Orkut if any of you are old enough to remember it, lol (laughing out loud)."
- zenzephyr42
A Doubly Good Deed
"I was planning to spend $2.49 on a breakfast sandwich and go home to do some chores. They had a two-for-three dollar breakfast sandwich deal."
"I brought the 51-cent bonus sandwich and gave it to a homeless friend. He had a tiny stray puppy following him around and asked me to bring her to the shelter because he couldn't feed her and himself."
"She became my best friend for 13 1/2 years! I'll love you and miss you forever, baby dog!"
- JensElectricWood
It All Began with a Broken Phone
"I dropped my phone from my bed onto the floor and the screen (with the protector) COMPLETELY shattered, which is weird because I’ve dropped my phone from bigger heights and bad angles and there’s usually just dents in the protector."
"Anyway, I was out a phone and super broke, and I didn't have the money to get it fixed right away. None of my friends had extra phones so I posted on my then-company’s slack channel, asking if anyone had a spare phone I could borrow, just for calls and texts, nothing fancy, and I’d be super grateful."
"I was also going through a terrible heartbreak where I’d been love-bombed and then dropped in a second. It was just an awful time."
"So one person responded to my shot in the dark and offered this extra phone he has. I had no clue who he was or what he even did in the company, even though I have several friends in the company. We’d never met because we both worked remotely and no one ever mentioned him to me."
"Our departments were also very different so there was no interaction ever. I was also a bit confused as to why he’d offer a phone to someone he didn’t even know. I thought he was too trusting, lol (laughing out loud)."
"Anyway, he couriered me the phone, I ended up needing it for longer as I saved up, and we finally met up in person a few months later. Long story short, it’s been a couple of years, and he became my best friend and then my SO (significant other)."
"For the first time in my life, I know what healthy, unconditional love is, he is the embodiment of love that keeps on giving. I grew up seeing an abusive marriage so my idea of love and relationships was completely skewed (still learning in progress). But with him, my heart’s calm. He’s my biggest fan and my rock whenever the going gets tough. There’s no one like him. I don’t know anyone as generous in love as he is."
"I remember that time and being absolutely gutted that not only had I got my heart broken in the most miserable way but my phone freakishly completely broke from the shortest of falls, all in a matter of a week."
"I felt so unlucky for the longest time. But looking back now, I’m so glad my phone broke that day (and my then-bf ghosted me). Or there was just no way I’d have ever met the love of my life."
- fluffypoopkins
The Love of a Sibling
"My brother asked out a girl when they were 17."
"My brother started dating this random girl. He needed a job so he started working at the company where her family worked. Next year, I needed a summer job, so they got me a job at the same company. I liked the job and kept working at the company long after my brother and her broke up."
"At 21, I took a job in another state to further that career and moved 700 miles away from home. Now my partner, all my friends, my hobbies, everything that is my adult life is because of that move."
"My brother randomly dating a girl for a year when we were teens changed literally everything about my life."
- ColSurge
The Vital Wake-Up Call
"I almost failed out of college. I tried to up my GPA by doing research WAY too early in my academic career. I met a professor who didn’t even work at my university. I had a brief conversation with him in the lab and he said, 'You’d make a great professor one day.'"
"It changed the course of my life. I scraped by with my Bachelor of Science and was one of the top students in my Master's program. I got a 4.0 for my PhD with several first-author papers."
"Now I work for one of the top professors in my field, I’m talking top three percent."
"That conversation was over 10 years ago. Thank you, Dmitry. I would’ve never met you if I wasn’t failing."
- zagottamove
For the Love of Language
"I randomly decided to take German instead of French when in school as my foreign language the day before class started."
"I'm now a German teacher. It's wild how such a small decision shaped my entire life."
- zapolight
Meant to Be
"I went in on my day off work, thinking I had a shift that day."
"I didn’t but they were short-staffed for the lunch rush, so I stayed for a few hours."
"I ran into my childhood friend who moved away 15 years prior."
"We are now married with kids."
- bree-marie92
These stories are undeniably surprising, and it's incredible how such small moments created such big results in most of these Redditors' cases.
It's important to remember to never take our lives for granted, because there's really no telling what small moment will lead to greatest next phase of our lives.
Life is complicated, but there are so many things that are worth being thankful for, even in the day-to-day.
But of course, there are some things that we would love to see in our lifetimes that would make living that much sweeter.
Redditor moltingtoupee asked:
"What is something you hope to witness in your lifetime?"
Not Even Gonna Lie...
"An Armored car spilling a sack of money in front of me and not noticing."
- explodingladybugs
Nature's Beauty
"An aurora."
- RedStradis
"I once met a British couple who were camping in the Canadian Rockies for their 25th wedding anniversary. We had a few beers around the campfire. At some point, the woman said the only thing she was a bit sad about this trip was not seeing northern lights. She always wanted to see one."
"We keep chatting and at some point after a few beers, nature called. I went to do my thing and as I was out of the fire’s light, I looked up and could see that great northern light dancing in the sky. I came back to the fire and took the couple away in the dark to show them. She was soooo thrilled."
"So you never know when it will happen to you."
- prplx
The Lives This Would Change
"A treatment for Alzheimer's. That s**t is terrifying."
- doobydoobydobap
"This is my pick, too. Watching my grandmother succumb to it, and it broke my heart. I’m afraid my mom is next, followed by me or one of my sisters."
- crispypotatocake
Cheering Our Loved Ones On
"All of my daughter's milestones in life. Until it's my time to go, I hope I get to see her grow up to be a beautiful smart caring woman."
- FlaccidWeenus
Infinite Possibilities
"Faster than light travel (minus any relativistic effects that make it impossible to come home at the sameish time, etc)."
"I know it's weird, but I find the thought of being confined to our little solar system a bit depressing when there's a whole universe out there."
- postitsam
Halley's Comet
"To see Halley's comet for the second time in 2061."
- craigoth
"If I can't live to see Halley's Comet (I should be 76), then I'd die happy knowing I get to see the total solar eclipse next year as my runner-up."
- curbstomprey
Who's Out There
"First contact."
- Minute-Loan7057
"Sometimes I think I'd like to see that too... But the way the last few years have been going, we'd expect the Vulcans and get Xenomorphs instead."
- coffee_cats_books
"Or the Vogons."
- Reddit_Hitchhiker
...What's That Like?
"My life full of happiness with no stress."
- HappinessSeeker7
Unrealistic Expectations
"I hope to witness the day when autocorrect finally stops turning 'F**king' into 'Ducking.'"
- Daily_Burnin12345
Ocean Views
"To see the Pacific Ocean, early morning, crispness to the air, wrapped in a blanket, sitting alone on the beach..."
"I am in central Kentucky, and this seems so far away to me. I can only imagine what the peace and tranquility would be to stare out and see nothing but water, clear to the horizon."
- Saltriverjohnny
One Small Step For Man...
"For man to walk on Mars..."
- Effective-Craft-1173
Outside the Box
"A US President elected from a third party."
- CatacombsRave
Flight MH370
"To find out what truly happened to Flight MH370."
- desperatelingling123
"I'm pretty sure it will appear back on the radar in 10 years and none of the passengers will have aged or be aware of the time jump and Stephen King was the reason for it all."
- ALIENAND
"I legit looked this up last night to see if there have been any advancements in the theory or new evidence. I hadn't thought about it in a couple of years. (I know that I'm lucky to not think about it all of the time. There are so many poor families that don't have this luxury and they still don't have concrete answers, which is heartbreaking.)"
- SparklesVibe
Supernovas
"A supernova event that lights up the sky. Even if it’s extremely unlikely, the most likely would be Betelgeuse or Antares."
- _Goose_
Time to Unite
"The middle class, working class, and poor realizing that they have more in common than the Upper class and super wealthy."
- Diverswelcome
It's always heartwarming to see when people are asked what they would most like to see changed, or want to see in their lifetime, they're less concerned about gainful wealth or arbitrary things, and more so in nature's wonders and cures for diseases.
Life might not always be perfect, but there are absolutely things to keep looking up for.
WARNING: the following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.
Life sometimes certainly can feel like you've reached the end of your rope.
People will go through a multitude of experiences before feeling like suicide is the only option. While we hope for a positive outcome and everyone can get the help they need, that doesn't always happen.
But sometimes, people are unsuccessful in their attempt to end their life and have a change of heart. They can share their tales with others in the hopes of dissuading them from making that choice.
Reddit user, Gay_Infidel, wanted to know what things were like on the other side when they asked:
"Suicide attempt survivors, what are some moments you would have missed out on if you had taken your lives?"
Count.
Sometimes that's all you need to do.
Count up the things you have now, the things you will have or the things you want to have.
Seems like that's a common occurrence afterwards.
Tell Yourself What You Might Miss
"I used to do this on the anniversary of my attempt as a way to appreciate being alive for another year. There were some years where it was hard to come up with things to be thankful for. . .but I felt it was important for me to do it anyway. It will be 20 years in February."
"So some major moments I would have missed out on. . .
- Met a wonderful man and support in my life. Got married.
- Buying (and paying off) my car.
- Dog sledding on a glacier.
- Visited another country. (Turkey)
- Graduated college.
- Experienced the wonderful world of Cosplay.
- Experienced the wonderful world of LARPing.
- Adopted two wonderful dogs, Darwin and Eevee.
- Had my artwork featured on site for a very popular videogame.
- Got to see my favorite band live in concert three times."
You Find Your Calling
"Moving to supported living, learning to live independently and discovering my calling as a manga artist."
Mrgreen37
"I’m so happy for you. I’m a social worker and there is such a stigma around supported living. There is absolutely no shame in needing some help! More people need to realize this."
loveroflongbois
"Just want to say, supported living helped me tremendously! I lived in that arrangement while I got my first degree and I couldn't have succeeded as I did without it. I visited the NY Congress people to show them success comes from those arrangements."
"I became a Licensed Social Worker (LMSW) and I know sometimes it's hard to know if/when you're helping people, but success happens!"
AhFFSImTooOldForThis
A Moment Too Many
"I would have missed out on the birth of my nephew."
"I would have missed out on my niece's first steps."
"I would have missed out on the chance to see them grow up."
"I would have missed out on all the good times we've shared together."
"I'm glad I didn't take my life. There are too many good moments worth living for."
SnooDonkeys5625
Not every experience leaves you with a positive feeling.
But it's a feeling, and sometimes that appears to be enough.
At Least You Can Laugh About It With The Rest Of The Internet
"After my second attempt, I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The responder with me asked me to name something I was looking forward to that I would have missed if I had succeeded that day."
"I said the last season of Game of Thrones. Those last three episodes felt like a personal giant middle finger to me."
NowWithMoreChocolate
Every Rose Has Its Thorns, But That's Okay. They Still Smell Nice.
"Mmm..not really any of note. I wasnt overall wrong...life has become worse."
"But I dont regret surviving either and Ive come to embrace the pain of life."
"Like, whether or not I kill myself, I will still die. I might as well stick around..why rush towards something you will be at no matter what?"
"Might as well stop and smell the roses.."
"Maybe something I would have missed out on is realizing how absurd people are. Like, I have people on a daily basis pressuring me because I'm 5 minutes late, or they haven't done something by the exact letter of the book...and I'm like, dude, you know you are going to die, right?"
"Like..in the end, none of this matters? And you're complaining about someone being a couple minutes late?"
"Watching people lose their sh*t over the most irrelevant stuff..for me, that's a bit fun lol."
xisnotx
Sometimes, all you need to know is there's one more day, one more person, which you really need to stick around to witness.
Something Small, But Meaningful. And Floofy.
"Honestly nothing that I really care about besides getting a cat."
_escapist_
"The cat is enough. There have been times in my life when I lived solely for my cats. Your cat deserves to have you and your love, and you deserve their love too. That’s beautiful, my friend."
loveroflongbois
"I used to be suicidal. Was seconds away at one point. But now I live alone with my cat and everything is perfect. Well not perfect, but I know I won’t ever be close to attempting anytime soon because I couldn’t leave my cat"
MFlinn4
A Person Who Needs You
"The birth of my son, who has helped me grow in ways that I never thought possible. Seeing him grow up to be the adorable little goofball that he is."
Swimming_Garlic_9536
"My son saved my life. I had attempted for the fourth time about 15 months before I got pregnant. But once that kid was born, it all changed. I would have missed everything that kid has given me."
happytrees822
Just One More Day...
"I met my now-husband two days after my attempt."
"Two days."
"So now my biggest advice is to get through today, because tomorrow might be the day things start to turn around and you won't know unless you're there to find out..."
"...I met my husband because I lived another day, that's it. It's not some magic ritual."
"But statistically, yes, if you don't die today you'll probably end up meeting the love of your life someday, that's why this thread is populated with similar stories. Listen."
"I know things are bleak right now and that seems impossible because I was there. I felt that."
"And I know a relationship isn't a cure-all for depression because it took a good struggle of a few years of self-hate that my husband had to deal with, but stuck with me through."
"8 years later, I still have bad days, bad weeks. You're going to. And that's okay because you're going to have good days and good weeks, too. It does get better with time, but you won't know unless you're there to find out."
"I met my partner about a week later! We've been together eight years now. We're both so different (and in much better places!) than we were when we first met, and I'm so glad I didn't miss the chance to get to know my favorite person ever."
Necromantic_Inside
**If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
How you approach life's many trials and tribulations can say a lot about who you are. However, many of us don't necessarily learn some lessons so easily.
Life is complicated. It's messy. Few, if any things, go according to plan. On top of that, sometimes the way we handle our relationships or our obligations might not be the most healthy one.
You live, you learn... or so the saying goes.
People shared their stories after Redditor ryanblumenow asked the online community,
"What did you learn at great personal cost?"
"I broke three..."
"Never trust a ladder set up by someone else. I broke three of my lumbar vertebrae. Thankfully I recovered fully, but damn was that scary. I also bit through my lower lip. I have a nice scar as a memento."
Wisco1856
This is terrifying. Glad you're still alive–that you healed is miraculous!
"Even if you work your hardest..."
"Even if you work your hardest, do everything right, and are a great employee… you may still be seen as expendable."
clearbluesea
This is true. Your company will never be loyal to you. Don't bend over backwards. Do your job–don't sell your soul.
"That you need to be careful..."
"That you need to be careful what you put up with as it teaches people how to treat you. I lost a lot of 'friends' once I started to set boundaries."
thenakedhurler
This is very true. I can relate: I definitely lost a few so-called "friends" the second I began standing up for myself.
"This goes for all relationships..."
"Don't listen to what people say, but what they do. This goes for all relationships, both professional and personal."
Andromeda321
Amen to that. It's a cliche, but actions absolutely do speak louder than words.
"Family can be just as toxic..."
"Family can be just as toxic for you as anyone else. Sometimes it's best to cut them out."
zeroblackzx
Ain't that the truth.
Are we trading toxic family stories now?
"If someone gets upset..."
"If someone gets upset at you for trying to establish boundaries with them, it's not you being mean or unreasonable, it's them not caring about your happiness."
ZSAD13
This is spot on. Don't trust people who violate your boundaries. Your gut won't lie to you, not about this.
"You can't convince them."
"You cannot, even subtly, force someone to love you. You can't convince them. They either do or they don't, and it's on you to decide what to do with that unchangeable position in mind."
telestrial
I feel like many people go through their 20s without learning this.
Not that I know anything about this... or anything like that.
"Just because you try to be a good friend..."
"That people aren't always your friend. Gaslighting is real. Just because you try to be a good person doesn't mean good things will happen to you."
Ok-recognition5137
Very true. Be very careful about what you put out there. Not everyone has good intentions, though this is not in anyway meant to imply that the world is terrible.
It isn't. Just be judicious.
"You can accomplish..."
"You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Doesn't mean you should. Everything will cost more than you anticipate in ways you can't imagine."
coldshockhyper
That's a poetic way to put it! Spot on. Everything costs something, even your success.
"Be patient..."
"That you don't have to run off and get married. A marriage that only lasted one year cost me more than $10K. Life is not a race and you don't need to be married by a certain point or at all for that matter."
"Be patient, make yourself available, gravitate to those who understand you the most."
ekimlive
$10K?!
Awful. It sounds like you have peace of mind now, however, which is priceless.
Don't be so hard on yourself, by the way. We all learn at our own pace.
Here's a tip before we go: Your education is never complete. Life always something to teach you, so just accept it, be open to it, and go in grace.
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
Life has a steep learning curve and one poor decision can drastically alter the course of your own.
This isn't to say that it's impossible to get back up even stronger—many people do this each and every day—but many more will have to settle for being older and wiser even if the way they originally wanted things to go didn't come to pass.
People shared their experiences after Redditor SweatyBag99729 asked the online community:
"What is the decision you regret the most?"
"Not being able to..."
"Not being able to communicate my thoughts in a clear manner. Not being able to show much emotions or being able to show any kind of affection. It's cost me many a relationship."
unwanted_species
We're sorry to hear this. Therapy can work wonders, especially with being more open about your feelings.
"Not trying what I want..."
"Not taking chances and seeing it compound. Not trying what I want because I might fail. Not asking that girl out because she might say no. Not living, I spent too much fearing what might go wrong and not enough time pursuing life."
accidentlycelibate
This can be very debilitating but you are not alone. Many struggle with this. Why not try? You have nothing to lose.
"I was bullied at school..."
"Not sticking up for myself more. I was bullied at school and abused at home. It took some time for me to recover from it all. If I had been able to spend that time and energy on other things, so who knows what I might have accomplished."
skunkwaffle
Bullying can scar children for life and the fact that society often looks the other way is horrible.
"Letting myself be isolated..."
"Letting myself be isolated and get really sad and overweight before doing something about it. Only really started living at 32 feels like i wasted a lot of my life."
CJNitroSpark
Many people have shared that their 30s are their best decade. You can be you! It's not too late.
"I was pressured into it..."
"Going to college. Like most millennials I was pressured into it, to the point that I never even considered careers that didn't require a college education. Now I'm working as a cook after giving up my teaching career, and I love it."
mgraunk
College isn't necessarily for everyone–it's great to hear that you're happy doing something you enjoy!
"My quality of life..."
"Not looking after my physical health. My quality of life would be many times higher now if I just did 30 minutes of exercise, ate more then once every two days, and brushed my teeth."
"Waking up in pain every morning can set your whole day up to be bad if you let it and also I can't remember the last time I smiled and wasn't immediately depressed, embarrassed and self conscious about my teeth."
"I'm not even 25 yet either."
Everyday_Hero1
The best time to start is now. Unfortunately, dental care can be so expensive in this country, so we feel you there.
"My family not going into the room..."
"My family not going into the room with my dog when he had to be put down. My dad told me it would be too hard to handle and I shouldn't have listened to him."
"I was the closest to him and I should have been there for his last moments. I let my dad know how much I regretted it and convinced him to go in with his dog years later. He's glad he did."
j1ggy
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Glad you were able to give your dad good advice.
"Doing so..."
"Not being honest about my depression. Doing so won't get me the help I desperately need. It's been getting worse over the years."
FromWhereAlien
If you're struggling with depression, there are many great resources out there, including SAMHSA's National Helpline.
It is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service and is available at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
"Looking past all the red flags..."
"Looking past all the red flags with my wife's oldest kid, and getting in a committed relationship with her in the first place. I count the years I spent living with him among the worst of my life."
mryoudidntask
Being a step-parent is hard–and even more so when you're dealing with kids who don't want you around.
"Failing to acknowledge love..."
"Failing to acknowledge love when it was right there in front of me. Also ignoring the personal issues I have that have slowed me down and prevented me from becoming a better man/human."
GreenSleeves7
We've all been there. Sometimes you're just not ready to accept it.
If you're struggling with feelings of regret, you need to know that you can acknowledge your feelings but that dwelling on the past won't do you any good in the long run.
Show yourself some kindness. You deserve that. And don't be afraid to craft new goals.
Have some stories of your own to share? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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