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The beauty of having free will is that at any point you can decide to fundamentally overhaul your life. Is it beyond difficult? For sure! But if you find yourself disillusioned with your health, lifestyle, career, and choices, you can work to create a brighter future for yourself. Consistent, incremental effort is your biggest ally.
Some of the members of the r/AskReddit community opened up about the biggest changes that they’ve seen people make in their lives. While many of these stories are inspiring, others are the complete opposite. We’ve collected the most powerful tales to share with you. Keep scrolling to read them.
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#1
I knew a guy in college who was a straight A student on track to become a doctor, but he was miserable and burned out. One day, he dropped out, moved to a small town, and started a woodworking business. He's now incredibly happy making custom furniture and says it's the best decision he ever made.
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#2
My own. went from drinking a 12pk a night and smoking weed every day. met the love of my life, had a kid and now I've been sober for 6 years.
Serial pacifist 1 month ago
Great job. Weed is just occassional now I suppose, it can come unhandy as a stress relief when having kids!
#3
3 years ago I was totally paralysed due to a neurological condition. Totally bed ridden dependent on carers. As of this month, I am almost a qualified teacher and ran my first 5K. A doctor told me years ago to accept my life for what it was. I never stopped fighting and now you’d never know anything was ever wrong with me.
Snazzy Smurf 1 month ago
Being told to accept something negative is sometimes the best motivation to prove them wrong.
If you’ve ever had to give up an unhealthy habit, alter a deeply ingrained behavior, or pick up something completely new to you, then you definitely know how hard change can be. Even though adaptability and flexibility are virtues, far from everyone embraces them. To put it bluntly, it’s nice to be in your comfort zone, even if your life is far from great. When you start taking steps outside of that zone, you feel vulnerable.
What’s more, it can be frustrating if you don’t immediately see any results. However, the small decisions you make every single day add up given enough time—for better or worse.
So, one tip that might help you is that you should have realistic expectations. Don’t believe your own hype that you’ll overhaul your life for the better in a few days. It can take months (or realistically—years) of small changes to get to where you need to be. For example, if you want to live a healthier, happier life but hate exercise, you won’t become an athlete overnight. It’ll take lots of dedication and perseverance to reach your goals.
#4
Guy was single into his late 30's, had a great corporate career, got married, sold his house, and started a family all in 18 months. A few weeks after his daughter starts crawling, he goes to pick her up and ruptures 2 discs in his lower back. Has surgery, comes out in worse pain than before the surgery and develops clots in legs. Ends up having a pulmonary embolism which he barely survives only to be put on large quantities of opiates for pain. Out of work for 2.5 years, can't keep a job, tries to k*ll himself on way to work one morning and his engine stalls which must have flipped a switch. After 7 years of opiates, he detoxes at home by himself, gets clean, finds a job and has been sober since. Fwd 10 years, he ruptures another disc and now needs fusion surgery and will do so without taking any opiates. Please say a prayer, I need all the help I can get.
#5
My high school gym teacher went from being a health nut and bodybuilder to a professional pastry chef. One day he just decided he was tired of bench presses and protein shakes, went to culinary school, and now he runs one of the best bakeries in town. The dude gained like 50 pounds but swears he's never been happier.
#6
I can only speak for myself. I was 13 years old, overweight, sick all the time, prone to violent outbursts (mimicking my biological father), and actively researching the most painless and foolproof methods for ending my life.
I started running. At first, I could only make it a couple of hundred feet. My ankles felt like they'd burst into flames. But I leaned into the pain, because it felt like something other than despair. I kept running. Within a year, I was fit, swore off violence, and found several compelling reasons to live. And I got hopped up on bananas and Diet Coke and ran 13 miles one afternoon like it was nothing.
I've fallen back into the pit several times in my life, but I always claw my way out toward the light. Running has always been the fulcrum. I'd be dead without it.
Colleen Glim 1 month ago
Hopefully you’ll find something that puts a lid on the pit one day. Antidepressants helped me find the lid for my hole. I never want to feel that way again. Mental health issues are so Important!
A good rule of thumb is to make your goals as clear and specific as possible. According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Teaching and Learning, you can use the SMART framework to meet your objectives effectively. Each letter in the acronym stands for the following: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic (what some sources name as Relevant), Time-bound (or Trackable).
To elaborate, your goals must first be very concise and tangible. Next, you have to find a way to measure them so you know whether you’re progressing and can tell if you’ve reached them. Then, the goals should be attainable with the resources you have and the deadlines you’ve set yourself.
You should also consider whether your aims are realistic and relevant to your life. And finally, you have to set deadlines for when you should reach your goals.
#7
My brother spent his late teens and mid-twenties being a lying, thieving, directionless bum who flunked out of college despite being extremely bright. Then one day he just decided enough was enough, a switch flipped in his brain or something, and he went back to school for electrical engineering, graduated one of the top of his class, and has a stable, well-paying career. And his relationship with the family has never been better. I couldn’t be more proud of him.
Rita Verschuure 1 month ago
With some people, adulthood kicks in a little later than with others. But that's a sure 'better later than never
#8
I know a guy whose daughter disowned him and wouldn't return phone calls or letters for 10 years. After he sobered up for a few years, his ex-wife let him come back into their lives. He ended up walking his daughter down the aisle, and is literally a pillar in his community today.
(I've seen the other kind of 180, too...but I'd rather think about the good ones.).
#9
My niece went from being a m*th-addicted felon who couldn't take care of her kids and bouncing in and out of jail to a respectable, reliable member of society.
There was no fanfare. She just quietly went about changing her life. Most of us had just sort of written her off as a lost cause. My sister (her mother) had actually assumed legal custody of her kids.
And she just...changed. She did what she needed to do to get her life back on track. It took a while, but it's one of the most amazing and remarkable turnarounds I have ever seen.
Mayo Clinic suggests that if you have a general inclination to eat healthier, you should take the time to get very specific. What exactly does healthy eating look like for you as you get older? What are the unhealthy habits that you struggle with? It’s all very personal. Someone might aim to stop guzzling soda every day or to eat fewer sugary snacks. Another person might aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and veggies every day.
If you want to ‘walk more,’ you should first note how often you go for a walk, how many steps you do on average, and how much time you spend on the go. Then, you can come up with a very specific goal—e.g., doing 5% more steps every week for the next few months. The exacty numbers will depend entirely on your current lifestyle. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be walking that you focus on. Any activity that you enjoy and gets you moving will do.
Meanwhile, if you aim to lose a bit of weight, it’s far healthier to be realistic and aim for one or two pounds and celebrate those victories. The alternative is setting yourself an overly ambitious goal that you might fail to reach quickly, which will only demotivate you. If on top of everything else, you track your achievements (say, in a journal or by taking photos of yourself), you can keep a constant record of all the awesome progress you’ve made.
#10
For six years, I had constant severe heel pain that made me disabled. I walked with crutches. I had to carefully plan every walking route I took, often I couldn't make it through a Walmart trip without needing to stop and rest on the floor. I never took my textbooks to class with me because a couple textbooks worth of weight would make it hard to get through the day. At home I would often walk on my knees or crawl on the floor. Most of the time when I could go no further kind people would help me walk. But sometimes I was just left there on the ground. Saw many different doctors, they mostly thought it was plantar fasciitis, but no treatment seemed to work.
Suddenly, one of the doctors got it right--it was a rare nerve disorder called tarsal tunnel syndrome not unlike carpal tunnel. He diagnosed it by having a guy inject painkiller directly into the suspected nerve tube. First time in six years I felt no pain. Soon I got surgery and once my foot healed I was amazed that I had basically no more mobility limitations. I went from struggling to make it through my daily activities to dancing for hours at a wedding. This surgery coincided with my university graduation and I was able to get many seasonal jobs one after the other and do biological fieldwork like I had always dreamed of. I tromped through marshes, hiked through deserts, camped in forests, all things that would be totally impossible before.
It really was a complete 180. It felt like a miracle honestly. Now I always appreciate my health and whenever I see someone mobility impaired from age or anything I greatly empathize with them.
#11
Dear friend used to be a self-centered banker crypto bro with vile views on women.
He was wealthy at a young age and even had an actual, honest to God marriage of convenience/trophy wife.
He was driving alone on a rural road in the holidays and had a car accident where it flipped. He got some head trauma from that, but also the heat in the car went on and out of control. So, it turned into heat stroke that became an actual stroke.
Took him three months to get out of a coma. He wasn't good at math anymore and had a soft and friendly personality . Like, unusually so, for him. He also immediately demanded to be given drawing supplies. He didn't have a lot of memories of before and still doesn't. He's not rich anymore, is a professional artist now, and him and his trophy wife fell in love for real.
He's extremely happy. He threw out all of his business suits, wears exclusively Hawaiian shirts, has a bunch of dogs, is bisexual and makes erotic ceramics.
#12
Friend of a friend was big into m*th at the time, already a couple years deep. He would regularly play scratchers and would frequently explain how if he spent enough overtime that he was guaranteed to win sometime. No amount of actual math helped him understand, so after buying his d***s, he would happily spend the rest on scratchers.
Well you wouldn't f*****g believe it, but that bastard won 30 grand on a $5 scratcher.
He sobered up, bought a car so he could get a better job, and (I haven't heard from him in a few years cuz i moved but i see his posts every once in a while) is living happily as a nighttime janitor for a school.
Sometimes, I wish I could explain to the billionaires of the world how .000001% of their wealth could completely change a life, but I'm so poor I'd get crucified for even thinking about having a conversation with one of em.
Do you know anyone who has completely changed their life, whether for good or for ill? Have you ever fundamentally overhauled your career, health, or relationships?
What advice would you give anyone who’s struggling to change for the better? Share your experience and wisdom in the comments, Pandas!
#13
My mom used to be a holocaust denier. I couldn't accept this. I took her to the holocaust museum, had her talk with Rabbis, and introduced her to lots of Jewish people. She has spent a lot of time with the Jewish community. She did a complete 180, now she can't believe it only happened once.
coffee loving panda 1 month ago
They have been targeted more than once. I am from Belgium and this is a history fact from around the time the black dead ran rampant. Jewish people where the cleanest group of people in Antwerp. So they didn't get sick as often as the other population. This led them to believe the plague was do to them. They rounded them up and apparently burned them, alive. This is a shameful past of the city of Antwerp. TLDR. Jewish people where cleaner then others. Got blamed for being the cause of the black death. Resulted in burning them. Happened in Antwerp, Belgium
#14
I knew a friend who was a quiet librarian who spent her days surrounded by books and her evenings alone at home. She decided to join a local improv group just to try something new and within a few months discovered a natural talent for comedy that ignited a passion she never knew she had. Fast forward two years, and she had quit her job, moved to LA, and landed a spot as a writer on a popular comedy show.
#15
I was raised in foster care after parents died. Emancipated at 17. 6 months later I was waiting in county jail to go serve 3 years in Texas prison. Got out and turned everything around. Made 200k last year and love my life.
#16
He was a law abiding, productive member of society, with a great career, home and family. Then one day he decided to go to the casino for fun.
2 years later he was a convicted felon with no home, less family and no career.
180’s are not always good things.
#17
It was my 23rd birthday. I was 300 pounds and tired of life. I asked for a gastric sleeve, got the family support, went through the process on my own and now im 24, at around 226 pounds, and going for my Krav Maga green belt on Saturday. Still not at goal but way better. I'm still depressed though.
Sami Smolwing 1 month ago
Upvote for 365+ days of relentless determination and persistence; waking up every day and fighting the battles!
#18
My sister. She had a string of bad boyfriends in high school and one of them got her into d***s. She married a guy after knowing him for 8 days. He was an abusive a*****e who abandoned her so she turned to her dealer who she married after her divorce from guy #1. They had a kid and got busted selling d***s and storing them under the baby crib. Kid got taken by the state. Sister and husband went to jail. Sister realized she f****d up. Sister vows to make a change. She goes to rehab and goes through every step she needed to get her kid back. Junkie husband won't change. Sister gets pregnant with kid #2 but leaves him before kid #2 is born. They get divorced. She stays clean, remarried to an amazing guy, lands a good job and has another kid. 19 years sober. I'm so f*****g proud of her.
#19
From my own experiences :
Going back about 12-13 years ago got married (Indian culture), wasn’t happy but went along with it
Started great then the verbal assaults began. Soon turned physical (her to me), but I never raised my hand.
Went into a slow downward spiral of heavy drinking every day after work - spending up to 6-7 hours in the pub just to get away from being home.
Lasted about 2-3 years. Finally bit the bullet and moved out, staying with friends and doing overnight shifts
Family didn’t wanna know me as I’d “disrespected the family name” by going through a divorce.
The drinking got worse, I’d subsequently lost my job as a result and legit felt there was no way out.
Then … Low and behind a friend of the family reached out. She was living on rent and offered to take me in (speaking with her landlord who accepted)
Moved to the other side of London, got myself a job starting from scratch - done my best to stay off alcohol.
Fast forward 10 years - now teetotal, married (again) for 7 years, got a 4 year old son and two dogs - and a homeowner.
#20
Probably mine. Went from alcoholic dead end job in jail to college graduate and middle school teacher with master’s degree.
#21
My own when my wife and I got divorced. Changed my style, changed back to an old career path, and changed my life for the better. Nothing against my ex-wife, we just wanted different things. She’s doing well and so am I.
#22
One of my high school classmates came from a conservative Evangelical household and it showed. She was very involved with the Christian club on campus and wanted to attend a big Bible college in the South. She was also really homophobic.
Somewhere between graduation and now, she got married young. Her husband turned out to be an abusive POS. She left the marriage with their kid and moved back to the PNW and got a job.
Then she met her now-wife and now works for a pro-LGBTQ+ Christian fellowship while raising their kids. Oh, and she posts a lot of pictures of their chickens on Instagram.
#23
My buddy, 10 years ago he was addicted to Xanax, stealing from me to buy more, OD'd at least twice but somehow didn't die. Finally gets arrested for stealing and is given the choice of 1 year in jail or to do the d**g rehab program which lasts for a year, he decided to do the rehab program. He did very well, I was the only person there for him as he went through it, and we became friends again. He got back into school, completed his bachelor's, he's now at a great university about to complete his master's in biology and will continue on to complete his PhD.
#24
My aunt passed away after a short bout of cancer that was related to her weight(very heavy lady). Her son(cousin) was very large as well and decided to lose the weight. Lost 165 lbs over covid and now runs marathons. Complete different person.
Bill Walker 1 month ago
The pandemic was really good for some people. Glad to hear a few success stories!
#25
Old friend of mine was rootless and disconnected. She started feeding the homeless and found her calling.
I’m proud to have answered her first request for items for the homeless. I sent bundles of gym socks.
Now, she’s internet famous; her non profit is completely driven by donations via social media. She’s won several awards. She’s provided the connective tissue for many people to move forward. Biggest 180 I’ve ever seen.
#26
I gave up drinking, began daily meditation, 45-minute workouts, therapy, AA, regular sleep schedules, good nutrition, and to-do lists every day. changed from being a gloomy alcoholic recluse to a productive, albeit slightly melancholy, member of society. People have asked for help and made comments on how different I seem. It requires a great deal of effort and, more crucially, constancy. Furthermore, change is a gradual process. People seek out fast fixes. Achieving goals and making progress is incredibly satisfying. I started running six months ago, and I finished a 5K with almost 3000 runners in the top 8%.
Having done all of this, it is evident that I am not a complete moron. If there is no change, nothing happens!
#27
Robert Downey Jr. getting convicted for possesion of an illegal firearm and c*caine and h*roin, serving 15 months of his originally 3 years sentence in prison.
That was in 1996-2000.
In 2015 the govenor of California pardoned him for his actions.
Today, he is one of the richest actors on the planet.
Fun fact: his son also got into d***s on a simular age, was charged for possesion and went to rehab while being very much supported by his father.
#28
One of the biggest life 180s I've seen was with a friend of mine who went from being a high-flying corporate executive to becoming a meditation teacher. He was all about business, career advancement, and working long hours, living the stereotypical work hard, play hard lifestyle. Then, after a major burnout and a period of health issues, he took a break to recalibrate.
R Ferreira 1 month ago
Living your life generating money for a corporation (even if it pays you a lot) is a waste of life.
#29
Former friend used to live with his unemployed mother, was pretty overweight and didnt have a career or education for him going. Was also bullied at school. He taught himself programming, workes in the field now, has a girlfriend and makes quite a lot of money. And hes of average weight now, too.
#30
Kid I went to high school with was one of those young republicans, always going to church, and even scored a 100% conservative rating on a political party association survey we all took. It had been 6 years before I last heard he had been bisexual through college and attended pride parades and was advocating for Hillary for president.
What do you think ?
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 month ago
Kid I knew in college was a high school football star and then he got into coke. It turns out he had latent schizophrenia. The d***s triggered it and suddenly he was hearing voices that weren't there,
Lyoness 1 month ago
Unfortunately the link between d***s and psychosis isn't well known.
Load More Replies...
BookFanatic 1 month ago
College friend was incredibly sweet, Christian (the good kind), came from a stable family in an affluent neighborhood. Never even considered doing anything remotely shady. After graduation she got married to a good guy. Almost overnight she started cheating on him with anything that moved, quit the church, every other word was f**k this and f**k that mother f*****s and got hardcore into d***s. Dropped our entire group of friends. Arrested once as a getaway driver and again as a d**g mule. We all sort of low-key wonder if there’s a brain tumor or something.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 month ago
Kid I knew in college was a high school football star and then he got into coke. It turns out he had latent schizophrenia. The d***s triggered it and suddenly he was hearing voices that weren't there,
Lyoness 1 month ago
Unfortunately the link between d***s and psychosis isn't well known.
Load More Replies... BookFanatic 1 month ago
College friend was incredibly sweet, Christian (the good kind), came from a stable family in an affluent neighborhood. Never even considered doing anything remotely shady. After graduation she got married to a good guy. Almost overnight she started cheating on him with anything that moved, quit the church, every other word was f**k this and f**k that mother f*****s and got hardcore into d***s. Dropped our entire group of friends. Arrested once as a getaway driver and again as a d**g mule. We all sort of low-key wonder if there’s a brain tumor or something.
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