What small decision changed the course of your entire life?

[justanothermanicmonday1]

Lighthearted.

Mines was just getting out of a relationship, being in my thirties and thinking I'd never ever meet anyone. I'd got used to the fact that I wouldn't likely have children, and be alone. And I was fine with that.

4 weeks after I ended my relationship, my friend asked if I wanted to be set up on a date with her friends friend. I was extremely reluctant.....

3 years later we have a toddler and a newborn and it was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. I didn't think I would ever be this lucky. He treats me how I deserve to be treated, hands on, funny, respectful, romantic & the best role model for our children!

Intrigued to hear people's stories whilst my newborn sleeps away..... 🥹

Age 20 I broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years and went to visit some relatives in Australia. When I got back I ran into an old school friend I hadn’t seen for around 4 years. She invited me out on Xmas eve. That evening I met my now DH (who I knew vaguely as he’d previously been engaged to my sisters friend). We’ve been together 37 years, married for 29 years and have two grown up daughters.

I was away from home and asked on a message board if anyone had a phone charger I could borrow. Met a chap in the pub who had the wrong charger, but we’ve now been married 10 years and have a DS together, so it worked out ok.

After being very hurt by some people I thought were close friends, I decided I needed some new ones and made myself approach someone in the school playground I'd never spoken to before.
8 years later and she is now my closest friend - my son refers to her as his second mum and I wouldn't have got through some of the events if the last few years without her.

I am originally from a small town. I applied for a job in Cyprus on a whim, had the interview and decided I would turn it down if offered the job. As it turns out, I had a problem saying no and took the job. I stayed there for 2 years before returning to the UK. I realised I couldn’t stay in the small town I was from, so started applying for jobs in some cities. I accepted a job and relocated again. I was very much single and joined some online dating sites, but never had the confidence to actually go on any dates due to carrying some extra weight. Lockdown hit and it was actually really good for me. I started exercising more and eating much more healthily. I lost weight and gained enough confidence to actually start dating. I am now engaged, own a home with my DF and we are expecting our first baby in March.

I know it wasn’t a decision as such but I always think about how Michael Jackson had a meeting in one of the twin towers on 9/11 and he overslept.

Its crazy to think how one small thing can affect our entire lives.

Oh wow! That’s amazing!

I have done two undergraduate degrees and felt trapped in retail and couldn't find a job in my field. I did a job somewhat in my field that was a trainee position but messed up an interview for a job that came up at the end. I felt so upset. I got a job back in retail and was absolutely miserable and couldn't see a way out. Decided to do a masters and had to choose between the field of my undergrad or a different direction. Chose the second one and now have a job that I very much enjoy and feel proud to do and feel like it's going somewhere and I'm using my knowledge I've worked so hard to get.

Was going to Uni in London… private flat rental all set up… got delayed by a week due to needing deep clean after previous tenants trashed it… forcing me to have a last minute plan to go and bunk on the floor of a friends flat in North London… which was a 2 hour tube ride to the Uni… but the best I could do (and very kind of her) went to Uni on the first day… sat next a girl, we then had to do one of those awful ice breaking activities… something good, something bad, something exciting, something scary… talked about my current predicament… she offered for me to sleep on her floor in halls… so I could attend the evening events… 23 years later we are the best of friends… and she is still one of the kindest most thoughtful people I know…

Decided to extend my location on a dating app, ended up meeting my other half on there, and 2 years later, we have a home, dog and cat, and a 5 month old❤️

Talking to my 14 year old earlier I was talking about how my mum hadn’t wanted me to go to the university that I did and that her reasons were very valid actually but that I hadn’t listened. And then while talking I said (and realised) ‘and if I had listened and done aa she was saying like I normally did, I wouldn’t have met daddy and I wouldn’t have you’ his dad and I aren’t together any more but we were both in that town for university (neither from there) and didn’t meet at university just in the town. So that was not a small decision as such, but one which at 18 I was being persuaded against and unlike my normal nature I didn’t change my mind and that led to everything ❤️

Met a guy one weekend kissed made loose plans to meet again. the following weekend met a different guy got married then divorced 7 years total a few wks later bumped into 1st guy now 11 years married with 3 children. Sometimes wonder if I hadn't that first car crash marriage would I have appreciated what I have now

I was made redundant, and applied/interviewed for a number of positions. It was a toss up between two equally good companies so I tossed a coin. The one I ended up at sucked and left a year later. But I did meet someone who went on to be my best friend. Anyway, a year after I left I went to a housewarming party of a different friend from that company and met my husband. The job wasn’t the one for me, but it did lead me to met 2 of the most important people in my life.

I'm not in a relationship but I absolutely LOVE hearing these types of stories! 😊 I'm definitely championing this thread and don't think any of it comes across as smug!

I posted on mumsnet asking for advice on heartburn when I was pregnant and another poster realised I was seriously unwell. She suggested I get checked over. I did so and it save my life and my unborn daughters life 😍

I'm not in a relationship, I made loads of wrong turns and never had the life I thought i would... but I still think this thread is great. I'm happy for everyone who has a happy story to tell.

I spent £45 in 1996 and changed my horrible birth surname via a solicitor, to one that people (including teachers at school) didn't take the piss out of constantly. Seriously that small amount of money made a huge difference to my confidence 🤗 My only regret is waiting til 20th of living to do it!

I broke up with a bf who I met during the witching hours of the Millennium in India. I was due to fly home the day that he arrived but decided against it. We had a really intense, long distance, quite short lived romance (6 months) when we returned to the UK and when I ended it, I just couldn’t seem to move on. I left the UK and lived in NYC for many years and met the father of my DDs there. We returned to the UK because of his job … but our marriage failed. I made FB friends with the ex some time afterwards and we messaging casually for a long time. We eventually met up and have been together ever since … we married in 2022. He’s the love of my life, the twin flame, soul mate if such a thing exists. I can see everything in between was an attempt to ignore that.

15 years ago I was meant to go on a weekend away with friends to Blackpool but there was a remodel at work which meant my team wouldn’t work together again. I chose to go to the work night out for the team being disbanded.

Met my husband on that night out. 😊

Decided to move to Italy for a year and ended up meeting my future husband, who is from my country. We've been married over 30 years now.

Hated my underpaid admin job and was bullied there for two years. One Sunday I had the Monday feeling and I just opened Monster, sent my CV to the first job that came up near me (a temp admin role), the next day they invited me for an interview and by that Friday I had handed my notice in and no longer worried about Mondays as it didn't matter.

That job was a temporary maternity cover which was a crazy thing to leave a permanent job for, but I ended up working there for 8 years and progressing my career grately. I met friends there that will.be friends for life, and we all see it as a coming of age job. Which was good for me as I never went to uni, so I felt like that was my experience.

It's funny the whole time I worked there I could keep taking risks and chances that ended up with my promotions, as I always had the mindset that it was just a temporary job until I got a proper one! Because I didn't take it too seriously it also helped me study full time for a degree, which I need up getting a first class in thanks to all the time and support I had there.

All it took was a couple of angry clicks to change the direction of my life.

I'd been a scout in my youth and then trained as a nursery nurse. At a fundraising event I mentioned my career choice to my old scout leader and she suggested helping out at cubs might be a good idea for some experience. I went the following week to help and I'm still there, now as Akela, over 25 years later and it's a huge part of my life and one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

This isn't a lighthearted as the others, but maybe a life lesson.
I had been back and forth to the doctor, I hadn't been feeling myself, thought something was wrong, they convinced me I was peri menopausal. I decided to leave it at that, even though I was convinced otherwise.

Turns out by the time I really knew something was definitely wrong i was diagnosed with quite advanced breast cancer. Treatment for 1 year, had 2 years thinking everything was smashing, then discovered it was stage 4 and spread to my bones.

That decision of thinking the doctors must be right and not pressing on may or may not have made things better.

If you are convinced something is wrong, keep pressing until you have answers x

I want to hear more about the dog!

You sound fun! Get a grip - no one is forcing you to read it. God forbid someone is happy.

This is a lovely account. What a kind thing to do. You sound like a great asset to the teaching profession.

OP I think this is a fab thread. Ignore the the naysayers. Folks can radiators or drains etc…🤷‍♀️