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..... 🥹

Agree with this. I’ve got a great career with a senior position and am just about to start a PhD but I can’t think of any “small decision “ which has contributed to any of that success. They’ve all been quite big decisions.

It doesn’t have to be about a relationship!

Careers, house moves, emigrating, meeting your best friend, getting a pet, finding a new hobby- lots can happen as a result of a split second decision.

Some people have mentioned that it's a shame many of these stories are about meeting men. I don't see the issue personally, but I'll add a sporting one.

Started running after a colleague offered me his place in a 10k race with a few months to go. I hadn't run before so I trained and did it. I was 33 and had had my last baby a year before. Fast forward to 40 and running has taken me around the world, making new friends and gaining a championship place at the London Marathon.

I wont go into detail but when I was a kid of 10 a teacher asked me a question and I told the truth. That naive truth-telling got me into a lot of trouble. I had a mini breakdown and failed the 11 plus. If I had been a bit more worldly wise and told a fib it would have been so much better for me.

What I learned from the incident is that people who tell the truth may not necessarily be believed. It is often the clever liars and the rule breakers who go further in life. I altered by entire personality. By the age of 11 I was an accomplished liar and manipulater and forever seeking to circomvent the rules.

The meek do not inherit the earth. They inherit the dirt.

This is so lovely. Someone at the company saw a super-determined 15 year old who was not going to give up and thought yup, we want her.. If you were my dd, I would have been so proud.

Universe obviously doesn’t like me then. A decision I made did bring me my lovely children but also plunged me into a nightmare (thankfully long behind me). I love how people’s lives change for the better at the toss of a coin, just hasn’t happened to me 🙁

I disagree. My PhD supervisor was hugely influential in my life and career. I met him by chance at the coffee break at a conference. In 5 mins he completely changed my thoughts on a subject matter. I emailed him the following week, changed my degree, graduated, worked with him and my life took a different path.

He’s since died but I often think about that chance meeting and how he changed my uni life/career.

Went to Battersea cat rescue for a tour. Got chatting to a greedy tabby who wasn’t allowed to be rehomed as too ill and old. We absconded, with the help of the sweet staff.

Best 10 years of my life with darling Mr C.

I agree. It is often chance how you first meet your dh. This is precisely the sliding doors scenario.

My Gran got a notion in late 1940s to open a business, stocking a specific product in a new town she had moved to. She was so convincing, a young farmers daughter with no education, that the bank said yes as long as she could secure the stock with 30 days credit. But the stockist said no unless the bank secured a loan first. So back and forth she went but no one would budge. Then one day she said 'Fuck it' (not literally - my Gran would never say that word!!) and got the train back to the stockist headquarters and barged in with no appointment demanding they supply her. They refused. She got a train home, heartbroken and made small talk with an older women who sat opposite. The older woman told her of her woes - her husband died suddenly and she was left with a shop full of stock that she didn't know how to sell, but the stockist wouldn't take it back and she didn't know what to do. And guess what - it was the same product and even the same stockist! An hour later the 2 women had negotiated a sale and arranged transport of the stock, within weeks the bank paid the startup loan, the stockist came back on board with new stock and the shop was opened. My Gran died a wealthy women with a family business now in its 3rd generation and a chain of shops. There is absolutely no way any of this could have happened without that chance conversation on the train that day.

@Supersimkin2 aw!😻

My career, or rather the resuscitation of it, was also sort of founded on chance. But that doesn't change the fact that relationship often begin due to chance encounters whereas careers etc tend to be more likely to be founded more on active decision making and planning.

Decided to get the bus with a work colleague from the stop next to mine, even though it meant a longer walk home. As we were stood chatting, waiting for our bus, a car shot out of the opposite junction and hit the bus stop I would have been stood at. Life would certainly have been interesting if it waited at my regular bus stop.

Ha, yes, Battersea. Went there and was introduced to a cat that wouldn't look at me, wouldn't play, wouldn't let me touch her. She was the only cat available and had been passed over by other people for a few weeks.

I took the plunge anyway, agreed to take her then and there, and she has been the most loving little companion I could have asked for.

@toadasoda that's amazing!

Yes it is very weird. Maybe too much Notting Hill.

At least in Titanic, Rose had the good sense to push Jack off the raft. After all, he might have produced good babies but Rose was going to have them anyway. In addition, becoming an aviator, an experienced show jumper and an internationally recognised ceramist was awaiting her. So much more to life than just an intimate relationship.

I had no idea that singing could be taught! Like you I thought you either could or couldn't.
This may inspire me to look at this as I have always admired any musical talent and currently I can't carry a time in a bucket (tone deaf is my excuse, don't know if it's true though!)

I took a Saturday job, after being offered 3 - met my best friend ever, we are still best friends decade's later

Editing to add quote

A girl i worked with she had a mate i should meet, i said ok and we married 12 months later and have been married 24 years.20 years ago dh said he wanted to take a contract job for 3 months, we moved across the country with no real plan and he has now worked for the same person for 20 years. Some times you just have to go with it!!

My dad was offered a job in Africa when I was 2, he asked my mum if they should go and she thought he was joking and said yes. He signed the contract and I grew up there and had a wonderful time as a child & teenager.
Coming back to Europe to go to a boarding school at 16 was rather a shock to the system in many ways.

I now live in a country where I wasn’t born or grew up and if you asked me where home is I am 🤷‍♀️. But I have had a fantastic life, although it hasn’t always been easy.

I often wonder what my life would have been like if my mum had realised it wasn’t a joke and had said no way!

Back in the day I had recently lost my ddog and was feeling so sad and alone. I phoned my Mum from a phone box and spotted a newspaper someone had left behind. It was open at the page “pets for sale”. I went to see my new ddog that day and collected him the next week.

I have had dogs all my life. I ❤️ dogs and have always said a dog is the only pet I will ever have. Earlier this year my stepson died suddenly leaving his cat. No one in the family was able to take her so I said I would give it a go but she had never even seen a dog before and my Labrador Was not used to cats so I wasn’t expecting it to work. Fast forward 4 months and you would think she’d lived here all her life. I absolutely adore her and am seriously considering another cat.

Taking a job in Woking rather than Coventry.

My life would have been completely different had I done the opposite.

😨

Decided to leave my car at home and take the bus. Missed the bus and waited for the next one.

was in the queue for the nightclub 20 minutes later than planned and therefore met my (future) husband who was out with his friends. We’ve been married 28 years