Hey Pandas, What’s One Experience You Have That Changed Your View On Life And The World? (Closed)

I was asleep in a tent in Tsavo national park, when a bloke on a motorbike started riding in circles around my tent. Annoying. So I unzipped the tent, stuck my head and at the top of my voice told him to: "F**K OFF!!"
The noise stopped, I went back to sleep. In the morning I asked my cousin, a native of Kenya, in the neighbouring tent if he'd heard the biker.
"Not a biker, a large male lion, sitting by that tree just over there - he was throwing his voice. You, telling him to f**k off was the funniest thing I've heard in years."
The lesson is: if you don't know it's scary - it isn't scary.

The death of my mum, and later my dad....to stand totally alone on this earth is a scary thing

When I was a young man I used to believe that the world was black and white, right was right, wrong was wrong and there was nothing in between. Then my brother came out to my parents and they told him not to tell me because of my strong beliefs. The moment that I did find out, not only that he was gay but that my parents thought I was so rigid in my beliefs that I could not be trusted to react positively really shook me. It forced me to take a long look at myself and my beliefs and how I presented to the world. I came to realize that life was far from black and white, in fact it's mostly shades of grey. Not always of course but more often than not, and that religions can be terribly destructive. There is really only one rule in life, treat others as you would have them treat you, no matter your belief structure, if you do this you can't go wrong.

Within 7 years I lost my father, nearly my mum, I lost my husband, close friends and family. Life is too precious so to the living I will say "I love you" as often as I can.

Learning that there is nothing wrong we me, not wanting to party every day. I am just an introvert.

All my life I have felt like the outsider. I didn't know then that I am neurodivergent, and have inherited endogenous depression, just to name two things I have since learned. I got bullied a lot and though my parents loved me, they weren't equipped themselves to help me understand myself, and how to get out from under the depression and angst. We moved to Australia from New Zealand and my life opened out. I expanded spiritually and emotionally. A really big watershed was taking my destiny in my own hands - I was bullied severely by line managers (I was a secondary school English teacher) until I had a nervous breakdown. I sued for Worker's Compensation for the PTSD and won my case, receiving a large sum, though it meant I had to resign. Loved those kids! Standing up for myself was my watershed moment. I learned a great deal through cognitive therapy, like to stop playing the victim card. Side note: thanks, Pandas for your upvotes and positive comments. So many lovely Pandas on this site! I have been perma banned but still upvote whenever I can, and this little note is my only way now to thank you all. .

A few years ago i was on my low low point in life - depression, anxiety, i was eating my feelings, cut myself from friends and family... Then i met a girl who was... well really destructive for me - she got me to drink, was acting badass and such (i was around 27 at the time). We broke up, and a day or two after that i was taking a shower, just look at myself ( i wasnt fcking able to see my penis from my gut) and thought what the eff i was doing with my life ffs. The very next day i called my friend that owns a gym, he helped me alot, called my friends to recconect, and little by little i got myself together. Stop taking depression meds (didnt need them), lost alot of weight and gained muscle, got confidence. Nowadays (like 4-5 years after) i am in a really really happy relationship with the most gorgeous, sweetest, most caring girl i ever met, gained a bit belly again (dont work out atm but i want to get back to it), i am really happy for the first time after a long long time.

I was type A, extremely independent and a control freak. But then...

... I had a horrible horse accident. Ended up with 9 fractured bones including; 3 ribs, my left arm and shoulder, both wrists in multiple places, and my foot.
By the time I was casted up and released from the hospital I was only able to use 4 fingers on my right hand and couldn't lift my left arm at all. I could not wash my own face, dress myself, I could not even wipe my own bottom.

Being ENTIRELY dependent on other people taught me that it was okay not to be in control of everything.

Sometimes it really is about perspective. Several years ago, still deep in depression, I was watching Doctor Who. I'll never forget, it was season 5, episode 10, Vincent and the Doctor. Near the end of the episode, after the companion realizes they weren't able to change Gogh's sad ending, the Doctor says, “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” A bright light switched on in my head.

I wouldn't say it was that moment alone that changed my life, but it was certainly a turning point in how I approached it. Since then, I've worked very hard over the years through therapy, happy pills, and fostering my relationships with the people I love. I'm in a much better place than I was. And I add to my good pile as often as I can and remember that the bad things don't spoil it.

That anyone would deny what a disease can do to their child out of loyalty to a *politician*. Happened twice, but the first was more than enough to make me decide humanity may not be worth saving after all. And, as an MD, that's sorta awkward for me...

Accepting that you cannot change people, as much as you'd like. That you should change your view of them rather. Also accepting oneself first.

Starting a Twelve Step recovery program saved my life…

This might seem a bit small compared to the others but to me, it has helped a lot..when I changed schools for the first time ever at the age of 14, I had the epiphany of a lifetime. That no matter what if you're a perfect human being in everyway, there will always be at least one person who thinks you're a horrible person. And then thinking so, doesn't necessarily mean you are. And even if they think so, it's okay. Just be confident and surround yourself with people who love you and you love them back. And everything will be okay. 😊

I am a 55f. I spent my entire life living by the golden rule. If there was a person or family in need; I always found a way to help them by hosting bake sales for them, buying the things they needed, paying bills for them, etc. When my ex-husband nearly died and had nowhere to go, I took him in and cared for him until he passed four years later. People used to tell me what a good person I was and that good things would come my way. But I never wanted praise or recognition. I just hoped if I ever found myself in their position, someone would help me. Now I am in that position, and unable to find any help. There is no good karma.

The loss of my best friend—my brilliant mother. My life has never been same. I miss telling her all the silly minutiae of my life.

It sounds really small but at 26 years old, I got on a plane to Europe for a six-month backpacking trip by myself. At the time, I lived in a red state and worked in a professional setting. Opened up my mind ten-fold. Now decades later, I am progressive AF and have traveled to 96 countries. Still work in a professional setting though. But every 10 years or so, I take about two years to go backpacking. Now with my hubby. Made him into a backpacker too.