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“Moved Across The World”: 30 Times People Stopped Overthinking And Just Did What They Wanted
Interview With Expert
Courage, perseverance, and determination can mean the difference between actively chasing your dreams and merely daydreaming about them. But let’s not be naive. Finding the bravery to go through your plans can be incredibly difficult. Suddenly, there’s a genuine chance of failing. It’s much safer—but far less rewarding—to always stay in your comfort zone. And, we’d argue that a well-lived life is done with lots of courage.
Today, we’re featuring some of the AskReddit community members’ best stories about the moments when they decided to say ‘to heck with it’ and went for their dreams, regardless of how hard things might get. Scroll down to read their tales and a huge dose of inspiration! Oh, and if you were looking for a sign to do what you’ve always wanted to, dear Pandas, this is it. You’ve got this, go for it!
Bored Panda was curious about how we can all leave our comfort zones and what to do if our risks don't actually pay off, so we got in touch with Jodi Wellman, MAPP. She is the founder of 'Four Thousand Mondays' and the author of the book 'You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.' You'll find the insights she shared with us below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Quit my stable accounting job to open a bakery. Everyone said I was insane, but three years later I'm making double what I used to and actually wake up excited for work. Best part? I get to eat cake scraps for breakfast.
Forbes, reporting on a survey conducted by Choice Mutual Insurance, looked at what 2,000 Americans put on their bucket lists. The average respondent had 19 items on their list. And, somewhat surprisingly, many of these aspirations were related either to travel or to finances.
The most widespread aspiration was to visit specific landmarks in Europe, followed by that same goal, just in North America. In fifth place was traveling via cruise, followed by traveling by train.
Meanwhile, the eighth most common bucket list item was visiting all 50 states in the US. In thirteenth place was the desire to visit specific landmarks in Asia. The nineteenth spot was for plane travel. At the same time, the twentieth spot was for folks who wanted to see all US national parks.
The main reason why the respondents said they couldn't fulfill their bucket list goals was financial. Most people who participated in the survey also wanted to become millionaires, retire early, start a business, buy a vacation home, learn a new language, and try skydiving.
#2
My hysterectomy. I had been having so much pain and so much bleeding that it was effecting my life is absolutely negative ways. I was calling out all the time due to illness and my brain was in such a fog it was hard to put sentences together. I said f**k it, lemme get this stupid thing out. I'm 34 with no kids and it's been the best thing to ever happen to me.
Glen Ellyn 3 days ago
Good for you. I'm so happy you're finally feeling better. Or as I like to say, "feeling human again."
#3
A Job for me -
An opportunity came up for a job that I didn't have ANY of the qualifications for, but I have experience in the sector, and thought "f**k it, worst they can say is no". Mainly as I HATED the job I had at the time, and the pay was low and management were terrible.
Walked in, did my interview and was taken on based on my experience. I was blown away. Instant pay rise, much better staff all around and 8 years later I'm still here.
Myoviridae 2 days ago
I read an interesting study once (summary article reference listed at end of post). It said that one of the best ways to recruit women to academic job positions was to list fewer "requirements". That is because women tend to read a list of 10 requirements and not apply because they only meet 8 or 9 of them. Men will just apply if they meet 60%. (ref article: https://hbr.org/2014/08/why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified)
"The Roman philosopher Seneca was spot-on when he wrote, 'Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.' It can be stiflingly hard to press the 'Go' button on our dreams and goals and ideas, because they represent disruption to our current comfy way of living, and they activate fear that we might face rejection or failure or success or any other outcome that will require emotional agility to handle. It's just easier to do nothing!" Wellman, the founder of 'Four Thousand Mondays,' explained to Bored Panda via email.
If your goal is to live with more intention, Wellman suggested that one step you could take is to imagine how you'd feel on your deathbed. "Looking back on your life, and the paths you didn't take... what might you regret not doing? Research is clear that we most regret the things we didn't do, more so than the mistakes we made," she said.
"Would you rather feel proud that you pursued a goal, even if it didn't pan out, or would you rather feel like you had played it safe? Most people need this nudge to take action because we don't like the idea of what we might lose (the distinct feelings of pride, possible success, and happiness, the awareness that we cared enough about our lives to 'give it a go')."
#4
Went to a concert by myself. Missed out on a lot of great shows because I couldn’t find someone to go with me, or those who did weren’t really into it as much as I was. After realizing I can have just as much fun if not more going on my own I went from going to a couple concerts to 29 in that year. Best decision.
#5
My late husband looked me in the eye on our first date and said "I'm going to marry you one day". He asked the next day and I thought "What the hell let's give it a try" and said yes. We got married 5 days later. We had 25 wonderful years together along with 3 beautiful daughters. I lost him 13 years ago and I still miss him every single day.
We met on Friday, went out the first time on Saturday, got engaged on Sunday, got married on Friday. Young ladies...do not do this. I got extremely lucky that he was an insanely kind, loving, gentle, progressive man.
#6
Years ago, I had the thought that I wished a second hand store for art supplies would exist. Last year, I found out about creative reuse centres in the US and UK, thought they were amazing, what a shame they don't exist in Belgium!
Then I got pregnant. Then I quit my job.
I'm opening the first creative reuse centre of my country next month!
The reality is that far from every risk is going to give you the results you intended. (Though if you've been on a non-stop winning streak, we're happy for you!) We asked Wellman how someone might bounce back from failure after putting in all of their effort toward a goal. She noted that it might be helpful to redefine what failure means.
"Failure isn't an indictment on our deeply flawed selves, it's an indication of something profoundly important. Failure is an indication that we've tried something new, that we've chosen the possibility of aliveness over stagnancy. Living a vitally alive life requires us to venture out into new territory, take risks, and sample what life has to offer," she told Bored Panda.
"Framed this way, failure is a litmus test of living like we mean it, and a lack of it is an indication that we're playing it maybe a bit too safe. Seeing a plan or goal or dream not pan out is a chance to learn, recalibrate, and celebrate that we cared enough to make an attempt at something that mattered."
#7
41 years old, six ovarian tumors discovered and removed in 2021, dead fallopian tubes. We never knew, as my family doctor never caught them. Decided to do IVF despite having no benefits or government assistance (where I'm from, the waitlist is long).
Three rounds of egg retrievals, 19 embryos sent for genetic testing, only one viable embryo. Literally one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything I ever wanted (Eminem is quoted in my house daily).
Sitting here with my morning coffee watching my son slowly wake up. We'll be broke forever but man was it worth it.
#8
Bought a one way ticket to Alaska and lived in a cabin for a year. Learned to fish chop wood, and survive without Netflix. Hardest but most rewarding year of my life.
#9
When I initially got divorced, my ex husband basically had a much better lawyer and got 60/40 custody. When the kids were a few years older they told me they didn’t want to live with him anymore. I was a single mom (obvi) trying to make ends meet and honestly kinda failing at it. I asked them to their faces, look- this is going to be hard, you sure you want this? It’s going to cost a lot of money and likely a lot of heartache.
That’s when they told me stories of him drinking and driving with them in the car and worse. I had to go for it, no matter the cost, the heartache.
We went back to court, it was ugly. He would call CPS and accuse me of things that weren’t true just to have an investigation on my record. He would call the police to my house and say I was abusing the kids. It costed around $10k in the end, but I got them at about 85% of the time and as the primary custodial parent. They’ve grown up safe, with education as a forefront (which he never cared about at all). Sports, (I would pay for sports and he would refuse to take them to practices and games), friends (he never let them go out with friends as weekends were “for family time”) and healthy examples of how a relationship should be.
My now 19 year old is in college with a full scholarship for nuclear engineering, and my 16 year old is thriving in hs with sports and a gpa of 4.0 and a lovely little gf that I like. Things worked out so much better than they would have had they been with their dad. He’s been basically an alcoholic with no job for years.
Though your career doesn’t reveal everything about you as a person, it’s still an indication of the general things you value and how you’d like others to see you. And the professions that young people aspire to can tell a lot about society as a whole. According to a 2021 survey by YouGov, teenage boys and girls in the United States have different dream jobs, but there’s still a large overlap in some key areas. Wanting to entertain others is a very popular, unifying goal.
For example, 12% of American male teens want to be professional athletes in the future. Furthermore, 11% want to be online content creators, 6% see a future as musicians, 6% want to be professional gamers, and 5% hope to become doctors or nurses.
Meanwhile, 13% of female teens aspire to be doctors or nurses, 11% dream of being actresses, 9% want to be musicians, 7% want to be artists, and 6% think that being YouTubers or streamers would be cool as a job.
#10
Got tired of waiting for 'the right time' to have a baby as a single woman. Used a donor, and now my daughter is the light of my life. Society's timeline isn't everyone's timeline.
#11
Quit my job, this was in 2011, to be an indie game developer. I had 40k saved and thought of course I'd make money in no time.
I did nothing for four years while money ticked away.
I had $37 left when I finally got a job again.
I'm happy I tried. I learned I can't work for myself like that, and two of those four years were probably the happiest time of my life. .
#12
I once decided to move to a new city with no job lined up, just figuring it out as I went. It was super stressful at first, but eventually, it paid off. I made great friends, found a career I actually enjoy, and learned to trust the process more!
Being brave doesn’t mean acting recklessly or not feeling fear. Quite the opposite: it’s about doing what you want, need, or must despite feeling utterly terrified. Not every risk is going to work out well. However, if you’re optimistic about the future, feel confident in your skills, and generally have Hope (with a capital ‘H’), you can decide that something’s worth trying.
You’re essentially putting your time, energy, money, and health on the line for the sake of your dreams. And these aspirations can be incredibly personal. Some will naturally be easier to achieve than others.
One person might never have left their home town, so their goal is to expand their horizons with travel just a bit. Another might aim to live a bit healthier or they’ve always dreamed of playing the guitar well enough to amuse their friends. Someone else might want to travel the world, start a business, become a globally famous athlete, finally quit that soul-sucking job of theirs, publish a book, or go into space (hi!).
#13
Moved across the world and gave up my very high paying job to marry a long distance partner and become a stepdad.
It’s pushed me way out of my comfort zone and has been the most rewarding experience of my life by far.
#14
I'm an artist but managed a bookstore for years because my alcoholic gambler husband was so unreliable.
When he divorced me for his AP, (1990), I made a connection with an antique store and started doing hand painted furniture for them, which expanded into wall murals and museum reproductions.
I was a full time professional artist for 25 years until I retired, I made slightly more than a teacher and was fully self supporting and loved what I did. I had 4 employees, we had a blast.
Never would have happened if my scum first husband hadn't cheated. .
#15
I went to finish my degree during my divorce. I lived on less than $18,000 for a family of three for two and a half years. Now my income is $45,000 and I have a dream job teaching 6th grade reading. I finally feel like I’m where I belong.
All of these aspirations lie in the realm of possibility. But they’ll require effort, research, and a lot of persistence to see them through. Courage, while necessary, might not be enough. It’s one thing to get things started. It’s another entirely to find the discipline, willpower, and mental fortitude to see them through to the end, despite any setbacks you encounter. So, courage has to become a habit where you find the energy to actively move closer to your dreams every day.
You have to believe, on a deeper level, that all the pain and self-doubt is going to be worth it in the end. Moreover, you have to genuinely enjoy the process. If you want to be a famous painter or writer, you can’t get there without being passionate about painting or writing. Meanwhile, if you don’t actually like those activities, you might be more after the prestige they offer and need to look for some other way to be authentically creative.
#16
In my first year of undergrad I was the final person to be cut (limited spots) and not offered the job in the coop program I had applied for. The next year I went out to try and get another coop and as I was leaving the interview hall I saw the same guy who had interviewed me the previous year for the company I had just barely not made the cut with, and he was alone at the table.
I figured what the hell, and approached him and told him I was still interested in the job. My other interviews that year didn't pan out, but he did call me back and offer me the coop.
I'm currently in my 20th year working for that company.
#17
Matched with a guy I found really cute on a dating app and we chatted on the app for like a day or so. A couple days after we matched on the app, we had a 4 1/2 hr conversation over the phone. Following day, we're talking and he's like, "I don't usually do this right off the bat, but would you like to come over tonight and hang out?". I hesitated for a minute or so but was like, "Eh. Alright. F**k it. Let's do this thing."
We hung out all night and I ended up sleeping on his couch that night because he was too tired to drive me home (I live an hour away and don't really drive, especially at night, so he had to come get me) which was fine with me.
He is the kindest, most generous, most respectful man I have EVER met in my entire damn life. Also one of the geekiest, which I love because I'm also a huge nerd. It's been two months and we're still having a helluva good time together when we can see each other (which is difficult due to opposing work schedules plus the distance). But we talk every day on the phone and have a grand ol' time.
Plus his dogs LOVE the s**t out of me (but they're dogs, so they'd probably love anyone who gave them affection but still...it's nice to know they like me).
#18
Med school! I've been interested in it since middle school but never felt worthy enough for it because of my grades (due to mental health and things like adhd/autism, physical disability, etc.) but after some incredible teachers I was able to push hard and work towards it. I got accepted to my dream uni with almost a full ride, and I currently am attending with A's and B's with the support of family and friends.
Edit: thank you all for the kind words, I had a s****y day and this made it a whole lot better :).
Elvira394 2 days ago (edited)
Welcome! I started with a seventh grade education, and a couple years, each of being a homeless teenager and in an institution. Many voices telling me Med School would never be an option, no matter what. I am now in my 14th year of practice. Anytime I meet anyone who talks about a dream of going to medical school I always go out of my way tell them it is possible and how they can do it. Teenager with bad grades, college kid with substance problem, 50-year-old high school dropout, it doesn’t matter. Having faced challenges and failures in life makes people much better doctors than those with “perfect” applications. If your next step is deciding your specialty, my insider tip is that all specialties are interesting academically, don’t pick your specialty based on which medicine you like the most. Pick your specialty based on which patient population you most enjoy being around.
Which of these stories motivated you the most, Pandas? What are the biggest risks you’ve taken in life that have paid off? What are the biggest opportunities you’ve taken that you’re glad you didn’t ignore? On the flip side, are there any risks you took where you failed? How did move past that?
We’d love to hear all about your current and past dreams and aspirations, so if you have a moment, tell us all about them in the comments!
#19
Left a POS (found out I was the side chick after years together, stayed and let him manipulate me a little longer after I found out, so it wasn’t a real relationship I left) because I met a man at the freaking strip club where I was dancing that just felt different. I was obviously at a low point in my life. I broke my boundary of not talking to customers outside work for him.
He told me to jump in with both feet, that he would treat me right. That a couple should be best friends, and he wanted to learn how to love me. He knew about POS dude, I was honest. F**k it, worst comes to worse I’ll go back to the club.
We are married, son is about to turn 1, and he treats me like a freaking queen. Still opens the car door for me when he’s upset with me. He puts us first, always, and we invest in eachother and help eachother grow even when it’s uncomfortable.
#20
I've never had enough self confidence to be myself or say what i think around strangers. Then i met this girl that was a friend of my friend, we met at a party and nobody introduced us to each other. I just decided that i liked her and i would show confidence even if i didn't have it, because "fake it till you make it" sometimes works. I just started talking to her like she was already my friend, and we actually became friends in a couple of hours. Then she applied the same tactic and kissed me like we already were a couple. We are still a couple after 8 years.
DennyS (denzoren) 2 days ago (edited)
As someone with social anxiety, this is awesome but also nerve wrecking lol
#21
Changed my profile from Male looking for Female to Male looking for Male on a whim.
I matched a cute guy shortly after, March will be out 5th year together and I've never been happier.
#22
I applied for a base level job (retired just wanted something to do) they rang and interviewed/offered for a open position that is 4 levels up. Thought why not and accepted. Kind of nervous now since it's been years out of the workforce, but what the hell, I will give it a shot.
#23
Facebook kept suggesting a guy I’d gone on one date with in my People You May Know. We’d both had close deaths after the date and lost touch. I figured “f**k it why not” and messaged him. We’ve been together 6 years now. Married, have a house, a bunch of dogs, a toddler, and one more kid on the way. It kind of worked out.
#24
This was back in 2000 I was 40, had worked in Warehousing my whole adult life, worked my way up to manager, and got laid off after 13 years.
I saw that programmers made a lot more money than warehouse managers so I told my wife I’m going to teach myself how to code. Spent a lot of money at Barnes and Noble and slogged my way through books on SQL, VB, Perl. God what a beating.
But here I am 24 years later Director of Analytics and still coding!
#25
After reading dozens of threads from people who quit their jobs and just went and travelled, in 2022 I decided I'd do the same. Quit my very nice and comfortable job and went on a one year sabbatical in Japan.
Greatest decision of my life. Met so many people, journeyed all across Japan, staying in different locations all the time, no work stress, just me thinking about what I'll eat the next day.
Yeah, I spent most of my savings and the year afterwards was a bit rough but I'd do it again. The memories I've made are priceless. I guess the only downside is that I just keep thinking back to that year and wish I could go back because regular life is so a*s in comparison.
#26
Forewent my boring "only buy mutual funds" approach and dropped 20k on an individual stock. I'm now the proud owner of an individual stock worth 6k.
Steve Sharpe 3 days ago
[1/🧵] Wanna know my one weird tip that investors don't want you to know (do this now) for making free money on the stock market? 1:Clear every last penny of debt you may have 2: Build up enough cash savings in a range of instant access, limited access and short fixed term bonds to last you three months /at your current lifestyle/. 3: Build up more cash savings so as when you want/need something that costs more than you've got in your back pocket you don't have to go back in to debt for it. 4: Make sure you're paying as much as you can in to your workplace pension 5: Build up cash savings for a deposit, get a mortgage, buy a home. 6: Build up even more cash savings of money that there's no change you'll need for *at least* 5 years, but ideally 10, 20, 30+ years. Until you reach this point you've got absolutely no business going anywhere near the stock market. I'm not saying that to be elitist or exclusionary, it's just maths. Investing is about increasing the amount of money you get to
#27
Used to see a really pretty girl across the library in college, spent an entire semester telling myself that one day I'd work up the courage to go talk to her.
I was hanging out with the librarian one day (old family friend), when I heard someone walking behind me. Told myself, "if I turn around and it's that girl, I'm gonna ask her out." I knew full well it wouldn't be her when I made that little pact; there were thousands of people at that college.
Well, I almost fainted when i turned around. Guess who? I managed to choke up a two-liner from my favorite movie, and we became friends. She was just out of a bad breakup and wouldn't commit to anything, but after months and months, she gave me a chance.
Over a decade later now, and we're still together. Two wonderful kids and a pupper.
If you got a chance, take it.
Take it while you got a chance.
#28
After backpacking for 3 months, I decided to continue backpacking. Send notice to work, cancelled my University spot that was about to start in 4 weeks.
Spent close to 10 years traveling after that. So, can say that I went pretty far. Now from last year, starting to settle down because of a serious relationship.
So worth it. 10 years have felt like 50 years of experience sometimes.
Caramello 2 days ago
There are temporary or seasonal jobs you can do while traveling. Sometimes, they will exchange work for giving you a place to stay and food, with at least minimum wage (US). Other times it may be that they secured a remote job and were able to work from anywhere.
Load More Replies... #29
Was down bad after a divorce and losing my job right after. I was doing odd jobs to make ends meet for 3 months.
One night after dinner I get a call from a women asking for me and if I’d be interested in a job. I asked what the details were and they were real vague. “You’d be driving someone around, doing their tasks, get groceries, take care of kids, travel some just whatever he needs.” And they wouldn’t discuss pay or anything.
Said f**k it took the interview the next day and meet in a high rise downtown and it was about 5 mins long and again was real vague about my job role and pay. Again I said what do I got to lose and went with it.
Ended up working for him for 8 years and was paid very well and they took care of my daughter through several medical emergencies. Got to see the world and fly private majority of the time. I don’t work for him anymore but he has landed me with great connections that have helped me through my career.
Myoviridae 2 days ago
Up until the last paragraph, that could have gone very, very badly. This could have been an episode of Unsolved Mysteries or a true crime podcast. Don't do this, kids.
#30
I started dating this guy who would go on trips into volcanos. He invited me with him to Vanuatu when we’d been dating for about three months. I said no because it was so expensive and I didn’t feel like I could take the time off work. I’ve never felt deeper regret, realizing this was an opportunity very few people get. The day he got home I told him, I don’t care when or how much it costs, next time I’m going with you.
He came to me super excited about a year later to announce the next trip was in the works. I matched his energy until he was like, “guess where we’re going?” I assumed back to Vanuatu but he told me, no pack your bags we’re going to the Congo.
My dad is famously referred to as “Liam Neeson” by my friends because he has made a point in the past to prove that he can get boots on the ground to find me anywhere in the world. When I told him about this trip he was scared. He begged me not to go, but I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity again. As the trip got closer he called me and told me emphatically, “Please don’t go, I CANNOT help you there. I can help you anywhere. But not there”. That really freaked me out. But I didn’t back down.
It was the most challenging, most rewarding, and most bada*s thing I’ve ever done and probably will ever do.
What do you think ?
Kelly Scott 3 days ago
I took a chance on buying an empty lot and then planned to live on it in a trailer while saving to finish it off. People told me I was crazy. I am now living in a 36ft trailer, I have a driveway, inside running water, electricity, and a septic system, and the lawn went in this year. Next year maybe a fence. I have to say, though, some of these people here took way more of a risk than I did.
John Dilligaf 2 days ago (edited)
6 months after graduating High School, walked into the Marine Corps recruiting station and said sign me up. But that's not the risky decision story. That story belongs to a Marine buddy of mine who got out....... "What are you going to do in the civilian world?" we all asked. ...... "I'm going to France and joining the French Foreign Legion " he replied. .... "Yea, Bullsh*t " we all said. ..... 8 months later he sent photos, fuc*er had done it.
Charles Kormos 2 days ago
Spent 37+ years trying to be a novelist. Published 3x made almost nothing. Wrote a movie script to reboot the Highlander franchise and handed it to Adrian Paul. He read it. He loved it. End of story. Wrote a martial arts movie script and handed it to Bey Logan (directed Jackie Chan twice). He loved it. Couldn't finance it. Bey handed that script to (can't remember his name but he directed two final season episodes of Game of Thrones.) That director said, "This isn't a movie, this is good for a series. I don't do series anymore". I give up. Writing is the most profound waste of time.
Kelly Scott 3 days ago
I took a chance on buying an empty lot and then planned to live on it in a trailer while saving to finish it off. People told me I was crazy. I am now living in a 36ft trailer, I have a driveway, inside running water, electricity, and a septic system, and the lawn went in this year. Next year maybe a fence. I have to say, though, some of these people here took way more of a risk than I did.
John Dilligaf 2 days ago (edited)
6 months after graduating High School, walked into the Marine Corps recruiting station and said sign me up. But that's not the risky decision story. That story belongs to a Marine buddy of mine who got out....... "What are you going to do in the civilian world?" we all asked. ...... "I'm going to France and joining the French Foreign Legion " he replied. .... "Yea, Bullsh*t " we all said. ..... 8 months later he sent photos, fuc*er had done it.
Charles Kormos 2 days ago
Spent 37+ years trying to be a novelist. Published 3x made almost nothing. Wrote a movie script to reboot the Highlander franchise and handed it to Adrian Paul. He read it. He loved it. End of story. Wrote a martial arts movie script and handed it to Bey Logan (directed Jackie Chan twice). He loved it. Couldn't finance it. Bey handed that script to (can't remember his name but he directed two final season episodes of Game of Thrones.) That director said, "This isn't a movie, this is good for a series. I don't do series anymore". I give up. Writing is the most profound waste of time.
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