To ask what changed your life dramatically for the better?

[youneeQuorn]

Did you find something that just changed life for you?

Be it yoga, meditation, religion, medication, therapy, a new hobby - that sort of thing

This is a fab thread op. For me, training to be a teacher-good salary and I enjoy it, despite the pressure.

Having DD. As cheesy and twatty as it sounds, I never knew it was possible to love someone this much. She amazes me every single day.

Volunteering for an animal charity & adopting my wonderful pet who has transformed my life and made me so happy.

Ditching a very toxic friend.

Decision to go no contact with abusive alcoholic step "parent".

Going to university.

Advice I've picked up on mumsnet about relationships that has empowered me not to be a doormat and made me stronger as a person.

Facebook (yes really) for both keeping in touch with friends whilst living overseas and for reuniting with old school friends.

Going part time at work. I've realised I do enjoy my work it was just the relentlessness of it that was really getting me down. I feel like now I have a good work life balance and it's made a huge difference to my life.

Having kids. I used to be a right bitch look at those mums who'd lost their ambition (ie went part time), put on weight, just scrapped their hair back every day and went around in jeans and hoodies and wonder what had gone so wrong for them. In fact unless I really make an effort and straighten my hair, all of those things have happened to me and I've never been happier. I feel like i understand what's important and what isn't. Don't get me wrong I don't walk around looking like an absolute troll. Just it was a revelation that after waging a 9 month war against stretch marks and getting them anyway, realising that I didn't actually care. If the price I pay for this much love is a jiggly belly that looks like a zebra when I tan, then that's a bargain in my eyes.

Recommitting to Jesus. (21 yrs now) shaping as much as possible, every decision made in my life since.
A book called, 'the mountain calls' by Robin Matheson
Exercise (home video)2 yrs on now.(got rid of lots of stiffness in my body)
Watching diet and reducing carb intake (2yrs on now) Lost 1 and half stone. (Went from 10 and half to 9 and half)

Therapy
My cats
Yoga
Walking the Camino de Santiago

Accepting the expression 'you can't change anyone else's behaviour, only your own reaction to it'.

Also being 100% comfortable in my own skin, taking responsibility for my own happiness and loving time spent on my own .

Going NC with my DB and realising how much I had been taught that his needs came before mine.

Throwing out cheating XH. Devastating at the time, but having survived falling out with DB, I knew I could survive this in the end and I am healthier and happier for it.

DGD, because she allowed DD1 and I to mend our fractured relationship.

DD2, who has become an amazing young woman since starting at university. She is heading into her final year to do honours and I am incredibly proud of her.

My closest friend, who is always there for me. When we met, I knew our friendship was going to be significant, but hadn't realised just how significant. God was very good to us.

Breaking up with ex
Paying off mortgage
Becoming very well off
Accepting my chronic long term health issues

Moving to London (2007)
Divorcing husband (2014)
Learning for the first time it's ok to not try and be someone else at the outset of a relationship and consequently meeting the love of my life and the father of my child (2015)

What an inspirational thread.
For me- leaving an unhappy but comfortable marriage. I would have been set for life as exh has a very successful business and I didn't have to work. However life as a single mum working hard and counting the pennies is surprisingly liberating and I am truly happier.
Also the law of attraction and mindfulness, accepting that things happen for a reason.
And green juice every day- it's amazing!

Getting an allotment, exercise, fruit and veg ... And a space of my own to sit and listen to the birds.

I'm still trying to find something that will change my life for the better. Haven't found it yet, tried lots - maybe something on this thread will produce the goods and then I can say "this thread"

Quitting smoking

My kids of course.

More recently, passing my driving test (8th time lucky! Haha). It has opened up whole avenues to my life that were previously cut off to me.

I also had very minor cosmetic surgery last week. It's something I've wanted to do for over 20 years. I cannot describe how good it feels to have finally taken control of my body and how it looks - I feel like I've let go of the 'shame' of how I looked before and now feel like I 'deserve' nice clothes, haircut, going to the gym a couple of times a week and not feeling guilty for leaving dh with the kids when I do. Silly that I needed surgery in order to get there in my head but that's this it's been for me. And it's great to be finally looking after myself a bit more!

Leaving my toxic exh.
Meeting a lovely guy and marrying him.

Leaving secondary school where i suffered 5 years of bullying from pupils and teachers which put me in a depressive, self harming and occasionally suicidal state.

Going to college and realising I wasn't a complete troll and gaining a few very good friends, one of whom I now count as one of my best friends - I'm quite sure we will be friends until one of us dies, he's a truly good person (but as gay as it's possible to be and not particularly attractive which made the whole relationship feel very comfortable right from the off)

Stopping binge drinking and ditching the friends drinking buddies that i used to do this with.

Meeting dp. Met him just after I left aforementioned traumatic school when my self esteem was well and truly in my boots and he made me feel like a queen. I have buckets of self confidence now, in no small part because of him and the faith he has in me. He doesn't so much these days but is constantly doing little things that show he thinks of me (bringing me olives and dates home from work because he knows I love them, always making sure there's coffee in my coffee pot even though he hates the stuff).

Having ds, I love him to the ends of the earth. I was a bit of a wild child in my late teens/early 20s and was very much a drifter, didn't have one address but closer to three (mum's dad's and dp's) and would often sleep in a different bed every night of the week, not just those three but with friends too.
After having ds I moved in with dp (we had been together for 8 years and I was waiting to finish studying before we moved in together, ds was conceived in the middle of my course) so had one place to call home. I had felt unsettled ever since my parents divorced and lived out of a suitcase for nearly 15 years. Having just one place to call home has really settled me, it's lovely to feel like I have a place where I really belong, not just somewhere I'm staying for a couple of days.

Also the obvious things about having a dc- the house full of giggles and the sweet peaceful moments, the boundless love etc, that bit's pretty good too

Stopping drinking

Sounds depressing but realising that life is completely pointless and in the grand scheme, I'm totally insignificant. It's helped me to stop worrying about things and to let myself enjoy things. I always think, in 100 years I'll be nothing more than rotting dust and no-one will remember that I took a sneaky extra day off work or was snappy with my boss or ate an extra cream cake.

Sounds so cheesy... Meeting my husband

Moving from a big flat in the distant suburbs to a tiny flat in the city centre, where going out for the evening no longer meant leaving by ten to catch the last train. Made all the difference in the world.

Stopping smoking after 25 years.
Getting a dog.
A recent accident and injury ( making me appreciate future good health and independence).

Meeting my husband who quite literally saved my life, he showed me that not all men are the same and helped me and gave me the strength to stop taking drugs.

Giving less of a shit!! And thinking will this bother me in a week/month/year.