Hey Pandas, What Was Your One Decision Which Completely Flipped Your Life? (Closed)

I quit doing d***s!!! I went from an angry depressed girl to a happy well adjusted recently married woman!!! It'll be 6 years in August.... I'm sooooooo proud of me!

I moved away from my abusive, toxic family. It was truly life changing.

My new home was - is - so quiet, so welcoming, and so comfortable. No yelling, no arguing, no slammed doors at 6 A.M, no walking on eggshells. Nobody to constantly criticize me or call me names. And I can finally sleep at will. It took me about one year to relax and process all that.

I realized I had always been on survival mode, and this took a huge toll on me. I do regret not moving away sooner.

I completed a comprehensive course of cognitive therapy. It took me most of a year and cost me heaps but it was worth every dollar. Changed my attitudes and thinking radically. Family and friends told me how changed I was. It was genuinely life changing and life saving.

Adopting my rabbit. It's one thing to not take care of myself, but he gives me the motivation to do positive things so that I'll be around to take care of him. He makes me so happy and makes me feel loved, and not alone.

The day I adopted my first kitten. She kept me sane, loved and protected from dragons. I awoke from a nightmare with her curled up on my chest. She crossed the rainbow bridge over 20 years ago and I still miss her so much

At the age of 59 1/2 I got sober. I lost 35 pounds, I exercise like an athlete, got new "pretty" tattoos, feeling like I should feel!

I was living in a passive aggressive relationship with a guy much older than me (I was 23). Once again he had arranged to go away for the weekend without me but, expected me to do the weeks food shopping. When he went away he refused to pay anything towards the food shopping as he was going to be away for the weekend despite earning far more than I did. This was in the pre-internet time when phone dating was still a thing. I rang one of those premium rate numbers knowing that my so called partner paid for the phone bill but, was too lazy to check it. The man whose number I found when I rang him was out for the evening. I almost threw his number away but then decided not to. I rang again the following night and we spent most of the weekend together. I was 23 then and we were still together when he died 32 years later. The best phone call I ever made in my life.

Used to get 5 hours of sleep daily because I would stay up really late online. Like, extremely late. I got 6 hours of sleep today? Ha, I slept in. Finally went to bed at a decent time, got 8 hours. Just... wow. Sleep really makes a difference guys. If you're able to, GET ENOUGH SLEEP.

Joining the Navy. I am intelligent, but I was very lazy in school and did the bare minimum to get by, all the way through.
One year of college, and I discovered that my strategy (bare minimum) didn't work. Almost 19, no prospects, 1968, Vietnam (!). So, I joined the Navy, and discovered that if I tried the bare minimum strategy there, they could and would punish me for it: pay forfeiture, restriction, extra duty, ultimately an other than honorable discharge. So, I grew up, started to do my work, got advanced in rating, made Chief Petty Officer, was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer (in the US Navy this is a commissioned officer in a technical specialty; in other navies it is not). Retired at 38. I've had other jobs since, but now I am comfortably retired, can travel, enjoy my life.

Standing up for myself. I got out of my abusive household, distanced myself from 'friends', found a community that respects and loves me. I feel more myself than I've ever been. I'm happy, safe, and healing. It's worth it to keep going. The best is yet to come.

1977, Dallas Texas. 20 years old. I'd been in TX 4 years and was headed nowhere. I was raised to be a country club trophy wife and I learned nothing of life. Then 3 years of trying to make it on my own. So I broke free and joined the Air Force and became a 2 engine jet mechanic for 10 years. Changed my life and made my ADHD useful. (not diagnosed until late 50's).

I was in a s****y job with a small flat, away from my wife when Covid struck. We were together for fifteen years - married for five and had already planned to move together in a few years. As the pandemic started I immediately quit my job and moved to my wife. Best decision ever! :)

Recovered from alcohol addiction

Took a chance, quit my job and joined the military at 32. Been in 12 years now and have zero regrets. Before I joined I managed a pet food/supply store and would have had to work until I dropped d**d. Now I'm building a pension and have done and seen some amazing things/places and met some great people.

Got a divorce from someone who was abusive for years, lived by myself for a bit over a year (enjoyed my freedom immensely), but then made the mistake of getting into a relationship again, and now my life is a mess. She's basically very irresponsible, drinks too much, insults me and thinks it's ok, never apologises, and spends money like it's water, so now I'm bankrupt, unemployed, and being bullied by a drama queen, and can't afford to move anywhere else or even sleep in my car. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, look before you leap.

After dropping out of college due to money issues and about 5 years of dead end jobs. I decided one day that I hated my life and went and visited an Army recruiter. I spent 4 years in the Army and hated it, but it allowed me to finished my degree and I started a successful career in IT when I got out.

Saw two guys across the hall from my office at work doing something interesting (they were working in a clean room). Picked the name of one of them from their door plate and emailed him to ask what he was doing because it was interesting. Later on I married the man that replied and we've been together almost 20 years and had one lovely daughter.

going back to college. hadn't intended to return but my then husband who was attending college had made a couple of back-handed comments on how i wouldn't be able to do it. made me mad. got even more angry when he refused to help allocate any funds for my return but we still had funds for him to go and do things with his buddies. came up with a crazy plan that i would raise the first semester tuition and books by participating in a craft fair held by my mom's church and then apply for all grants/scholarships that i could and work part time in-between. that craft fair raised the money for the tuition, books and enough for a cup of coffee. was terrified the first day as i had never had confidence in my academics in high school as well as being the only 'old fart' in most classes. how did it end? managed to graduate with three degrees as well as a prestigious award. the entire experience showed me that i was smarter than i thought, had more confidence than i thought, and that i could achieve my goals. it was also when i realized while i had been taught that i should try not to lose my temper i learned that anger can make you stronger than you think you are and help you do amazing things...including learning that you don't need an anchor holding you down.

I moved abroad, which I had never considered before. I saw an ESL job posting, applied, sold everything, and was on a flight six weeks later.

Immediate effect: cut ties from an abusive "family" (zero contact), left dead end jobs, restart my life with a clean slate.

Twenty years later: I live fully "out" and date who I want, have a successful life, genuine friendships, and future possibilities in other countries.

I joined my school's GSA! I was bullied until grade 10, and now I’m part of the leadership team