These days you often hear about something being “life-changing”. Stuff like meditating, a particular book, or giving up sugar. But as much as these might have a positive impact, they rarely, if ever, fundamentally change your life.
I guess much of this is exaggeration to sell something or for clicks. Plus a lot of personal development requires real effort and time that many of us do not apply. But I wonder can anything be truly “life changing”?
So Redditors, have any of you found or done something that actually truly was life changing, in that it significantly took your life in a better direction, and/or allowed you to achieve something huge that otherwise you would not have.
It could be something related to diet, exercise, sleep, a routine, habits, religion, near-death experience, medical diagnosis, medication, relationships, work, therapy, …. or anything else, but it needs tangible and significant.
18 comments
Diagnosis and treatment for ADD. Cant even begin to explain the impact that’s had on my life
Becoming a dad.
Everything changed.
Stopped caring if other people like me
Yeah weird one here.
Was living in London, unhealthy, broke, no friends, fat as fuck and stuck with a wife who cheated with me multiple times and left me to look after our 3 kids and work full time while she did fuck all. I went to pick some crap up I’d bought from eBay from outside Stroud. On the way back I stopped in a little car park on Selsley Common to go for a piss. Was grey, cold, Feb. Decided to amble across the common onto the ridge (photo here of the actual day/event: https://imgur.com/uUXc9uw ) and sat on that bench. The clouds came down suddenly, got completely soaked, cried my eyes out about how shit my life was for about 30 minutes then realised I couldn’t actually work my way back to the car because visibility was zero and had a complete panic attack. This lasted for about 10 minutes after which I got my shit together and used the compass on my phone to get back. Sat in the car for a bit and drove home.
Something literally flipped inside me that day. Within 2 years I lost 100lb, got super fit, divorced her, went vegetarian, moved out and got a nice flat, got friends, got a decent promotion and managed to get the kids back on the rails.
I go back there every Feb 8th now and sit on that bench and usually get pissed on again.
I had a series of heart attacks. 5 in 3 days. Completely out of the blue, I was running regularly, non smoker, pescatarian, healthy weight, still in my 40s. One minute I was in a meeting, next in an ambulance calling my dad ON HIS BIRTHDAY lol it’s been a long hard slog to recover but I’m here 2 years and two days later with a whole new brighter and WAY more relaxed life
My job, I started working at sea. Best job I’ve ever had by a country mile and it got me off minimum wage.
It’s soppy, but the people I’ve fallen in love with.
Getting a fat inheritance from a distant relative who lived in Aus, right before the cost of living crisis.
After struggling for so many years it feels good
I started eating different foods and noticed a huge boost in energy after a few days. I’m prone to severe fatigue, muscle aches and weakness and have digestive issues due to autism (which is a whole problem in itself). Started eating nothing but chicken breast, fish, spinach, cottage cheese, yoghurt and pickled foods and it’s helped with everything expect now I have too much energy.
Not using an alarm to wake up. I thought it was normal to feel tired all the time and feel like absolute shit upon waking up.
Got a job with working hours of 1-9pm when I was 23 and that was when I realised the difference it made to my life. I now have a job where I don’t have set hours generally.
Today I had to get up at 6, so I did set an alarm just in case, but I woke up naturally at 5.58.
Doing a skincare regime every day. I’ve got dermatitis and eczema that I was bullied for through school. I’ve pretty much had no confidence since it started at puberty.
I spent my entire teenage years inside, in the dark, playing video games 8 hours+ a day. I never dressed up nicely because I didn’t see the point. I let myself gain loads of weight. I let my teeth get bad. It was a vicious cycle where I felt so low in myself that I didn’t have the motivation to fix myself up, because I knew that I’d always be ugly.
It’s still noticeable, and I have other health conditions that are still visible, but I’ve bought a bunch of nice clothes and go out more now I’ve got my skin under control and I’m not bleeding, flaking and oozing everywhere. It’s amazing how much having clearer skin affects your life.
The other day I went for a walk to the GPs and nearly everyone who walked past said hello to me and smiled, which nobody ever used to do. I used to get abuse from blokes in public where they used to make fun of me.
I’m still ugly and fat (working on that), but I don’t feel it anymore. 🙂
Moving out of my very small home town in my late twenties.
I was commuting three hours a day, five days a week and was absolutely miserable. Got a small promotion and realised there was a way out.
I moved within walking distance of work, start being more sociable, going to live comedy shows for the first time and met great new friends.
It’s ebbed and flowed in the years following that, but I could never go back home now until I retire. (Not that I could afford to, anyway….)
I guess you’re not looking for obviously life-changing things like “having a child”, more self-improvement stuff.
However, having a child changed my life in all of the obvious ways but also in lots of positive ways that I really didn’t expect. Increased self-confidence was a big one. Also increased motivation, self-esteem, etc.
I cut yeast and fungi out of my diet. I’ve lost a lot of weight (used to be 16 stone, now usually between 8 and 9 stone), far less digestion problems and happier
Would it work for anyone else? I don’t know but it worked for me.
Explaining myself more.
It’s funny and frustrating how so many problems between people are just down to poor communication.
It doesn’t mean I’ll always get my way, but at least it shortens the awkward period.
Bought a dishwasher. Fucking revelation
Also lost 85kg in my mid 20’s, that was good.
Natural psychedelics.
A really good squeegee.