this post was submitted on 01 May 2024
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For me, it was learning English. Although I do make a few mistakes here and there, I'm mostly perfect on it.

The amount of resources you have access to dramatically increases when you know a universal language. I say dramatically because it made me realize how much my native language lacks when it comes to certain topics. The most obvious one to me was tech and computers. Everybody knows how to use Windows but there are very few resources about stuff beyond Windows. It's actually sad. [insert sad face here]

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 6 months ago

Deciding to transition ten years ago

[–] [email protected] 38 points 6 months ago

Marrying my wife. She is so smart and strong. We make a great team and we have been able to resolve the various conflicts of 15 years. I couldn't have chosen a better partner.

[–] TexasDrunk 29 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Getting a divorce. My life has been better since then, even when I lived in my car.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

A β€œfriend” started a company and hired me. It was pretty fun for a year. Then it became pretty bad β€” real bad. I quit on the spot after a verbal abuse session where I demanded more respect and my β€œfriend” / boss literally said β€œno.”

It’s been a little over a year since I quit. Lived in my car for some of it, otherwise took odd jobs here and there where I could rent a room temporarily.

I’m at the end of this insane journey β€” starting a new job in a couple months. It’s been rough but I still think it was the right decision. Curious to see myself in 6 months to a year.

Anyway, felt like this was somewhat similar to your case.

[–] TexasDrunk 4 points 6 months ago

It's rough as hell, friend. I'm glad you're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. With a little hard work and a lot of luck I was able to buy a house a few years after I went through the homelessness thing. I hope the same for you.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

Ditto - divorcing my first wife. Now I'm married to my soulmate and we have an amazing daughter together. Best thing I ever did!

[–] Elorie 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Same. I thought life would be worse so I stayed married longer than I should have.

Turns out being unhappily married is far more lonely than being single....by a LOT.

[–] TexasDrunk 4 points 6 months ago

Oh hell yes it is. I didn't stay too long (I'm notorious for leaving anything I'm unhappy with) but it was only good for like the first couple of weeks. I honestly should have known better but I was 18.

And for all the folks saying that getting married is the best thing to happen to them, I only have one thing to say: good! I'm glad it's working for you and your spouse!

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'd say so far, my best decision has been saying "ok" when an old coworker offered me an interview at a new job.

OP, do you mind if I ask what your native language is?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I apologize for the late reply. I was really busy these few days.

OP, do you mind if I ask what your native language is?

Well I do not mind. It's Turkish.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago

Joining the electrical union. I'm a convicted felon. The union gave me a future.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I hate that you are right because English is such a janky ass language.

And don't worry too much on mistakes since native speakers suck at english too.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Don't worry Aussies get a free pass for being pretty damn cool.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago

Asked my boss to relocate me to another country 5 years ago. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m glad I even asked in the first place, because no one else had done it at the time.

[–] Im_old 18 points 6 months ago

Quit smoking.

Apart from that, it's been a clusterfuck.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Quiting an exhausting job. That was a big relieve for me and for my partner even more so

[–] KombatWombat 3 points 6 months ago

It wasn't my decision, but getting fired from an exhausting job was amazing for me. I wasn't going to pull the trigger myself, but walking out of my boss's office I couldn't keep a huge grin off my face. I was in no rush to find a new job so the months of uneployment that followed were some of the happiest of my life. And I have a better job now that pays less but is so much less stressful.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

Moving to California. Happened on a whim. Change my life completely because I didn't fit in my conservative state and would never have achieved actual happiness. Also, continuing therapy.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

Stooped caring what other thought, started doing what I liked, took risks.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

Someone convinced me to study computer science 20 years ago. The career possibilities with good money and easy work have put the rest of life on easy mode (for now). Even meeting my wife and having my family would never have happend without that decision.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Getting away from my ex.

I had resigned myself to my life being over. But when we started pushing for kids, I started noticing relief whenever it didn’t work. I realized that while I might have been willing to sacrifice myself to her, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice kids.

So I did the unthinkable, and I called it all off. It was horribly sad, but now after five years out, I’m feeling like myself again. I shudder to think of that zombified state I was living in.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

I realised a relationship was doomed when I had a pregnancy scare. I was overjoyed when I got my period, and he told me he was sad. The man already had 3 kids by 3 different women, none of whom he saw, and I was like wtf how does he think I'd have a kid with him?? We broke up not long after. And every time I see him around town I thank my lucky stars I didn't get stuck with him, as well as embarrassment I was with him in the first place.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Asking out my partner. They're my favorite person. I pity the alternate timeline version of me who didn't have the guts to make a move. They're really missing out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Super cute and wholesome. Glad for you both of you, and cracking up at your username.

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[–] Resol 9 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Leaving Facebook, and Reddit, and ~~Twitter~~ X, and Instagram, and... well, quite literally everything except YouTube.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

Going vegan

[–] RBWells 8 points 6 months ago

Probably having kids. Got pregnant at 23, went back to school, slowly, got a much better job when I finished. Do not think I would have done without having the kids, and they have brought so much joy into my life.

But I always knew I wanted kids so not sure that counts.

Wearing a very slightly alternative outfit to the mall in the 1980s may actually have saved my life. I was so alienated at school, for a lot of reasons, and falling in with these slightly older punks who looked after me at shows and just generally got me into that scene really made me feel I had a place - I wouldn't say it was wholesome by any stretch but without that group I am pretty sure I would have just died, probably from anorexia as a teen. Good and bad came from it but I am very, very happy for that day.

[–] CaptPretentious 7 points 6 months ago

Going to college.

Honestly there's a lot of things I know all contributed to where I am. But I'm fairly certain I would have a far worse life if I hadn't gone to college.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Was taking 2 gap years in education. Where I worked a year, and took firefighters education for 9 month, where I met my now wife, after that traveled for 2 month, before I continued my education with computer science.

[–] CosmicCleric 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Marrying my wife.

I ended up being a much better person because of it.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Making new year resolutions and actually following through with them until i have succeeded. Each new year, if i completed my previous year goal, i will spend some time thinking about what i could do to best improve my life. i also very carefully word the resolution, so i am not able to 'cheat' in any way.

I started off by doing something i saw as a joke. the resolution was to watch every episode and movie of star trek, star wars and dr who. After accomplishing this goal (after 3 years) i realized that making the goal specific is more important. a vague goal that says "do better" in some way is bad. it is better, for me, to aim for a reasonable and achievable goal.

For example, "losing weight" is a bad. if i never stopped losing weight, it would be worse than if i never stopped gaining weight. if i make the goal "get to, then stay within 180-200 pounds", it is a good goal. (for my height, this is a healthy range).

i started doing this in 2006. since starting i have quit drinking alcohol, quit illegal drugs and reconnected with family members i lost contact with, during the time i was doing the other two.

the most recent goal i made, in 2020, is actually the opposite of my first goal: quit watching tv and movies, quit playing videogames and educate myself as much as possible, until i get a college degree (this is difficult. i have developmental disorders) or buy a house. since they are harder goals than before, i gave myself a deadline of before 2030 begins.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

It could help with long term to define sub goals.

For example, about what amount of savings you want to have by which date, or set a date when you want to have a clear concise description of what kind of house and location you are looking for.

At another date you want to be familiar with all the things that involve buying a house, the documents and what not.

By defining sub goals you keep things real and are able to measure your position towards your goal.

It's a valid strategy for dealing with complex and long term stuff.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Moving to Ireland. Better than the UK in almost every way.

[–] spittingimage 5 points 6 months ago (4 children)

It's kind of weird that English became a universal language. There must have been better choices.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Apparently not, or those would've become the universal.

History is what caused it. Though it's pretty fascinating that in Shakespeare's time, English (in England) was considered the commoner's tongue, while the upper classes spoke French.

This is part of Shakespeare's legacy (he wrote and performed in English) , and also shows why the early documents in America are worded the way they are. No American says "four score and 20 years", that's from French.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

No American says "four score and 20 years",

My whole life has been a lie.

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[–] foggy 5 points 6 months ago

Moving. I was in my mid 20s and I lived in a city with all my friends.

Really struggled with mental health. Felt like all my friends hated me. Turns out they were just mediocre friends.

Packed up and moved, solo.doing way better than I ever woulda done in that situation, I think.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Going to therapy.
I found out the reason I could't sleep anymore was deeper than just being stressed out during a particular time frame of my life, but it was the last ring of a chain of bad (but apparently "normal") decisions that started a long time ago.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Quit work at 35, am now 58.

Regrets ? Not brave enough to quit earlier.

[–] reversebananimals 13 points 6 months ago (2 children)

How do you support yourself and how did you make that happen?

[–] Retreaux 8 points 6 months ago

Seconded I'm ready to take notes at 33

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If you are actually interested there was movement, not sure if still going, a few years ago called financial independence. It was r/financialindependence. One of their influencers was Mr Money Moustache. You can look that up if you want

[–] reversebananimals 2 points 6 months ago

Yeah :) I actually am going to reach FI myself next year at 33 y/o. Was hoping to hear this person's story since its a concept I'm very interested in.

[–] cabron_offsets 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Overcoming my tendency to push people away and committing to my wife.

[–] victorz 4 points 6 months ago

Why would you want to overcome committing to your wife?

/s

[–] spittingimage 3 points 6 months ago

At the risk of repeating what others have posted, getting together with my wife. She's smart, financially responsible, and we influence each other in positive ways. We've been so much more capable as a team than either of us was separately.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I started running some 20-odd years ago. It helped me get stability and self-confidence and helped me get my shit together.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Buying dirt, it's a struggle everyday but as much as I say I'm giving up and selling... I'm never going to

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