20 instances when people's seemingly casual choices had a great impact on their lives

We are always advised to choose wisely because our current decisions determine our future. Our decisions create a sort of butterfly effect where a small change in conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes. Imagine meeting someone at a coffee shop who just happens to work at your dream company and you end up scoring an interview there with their reference. What if you had gone to a different coffee shop or arrived five minutes later? You might not have met the person who helped you land your dream job.

Our world is deeply interconnected and we never know the outcomes of our choices but we can at least hope for the best.u/nevermeant2bethisway popped an interesting question on Reddit that read: "What was a choice you made that changed your life forever?" The community showed up in the comment section to share their experiences and stories about how a single decision that felt insignificant at first ended up changing their life completely. Here are 25 instances where people found a new purpose in their lives and even received blessings they were destined for.

1. Wise decisions

"Applying to a coding bootcamp. I went from being a broke stripper to an upper class salary working white collar jobs in months." -u/xain_the_idiot

2. Opting for another degree

"Going to get my master's degree. I was on a path of poverty even with my bachelor's degree. Now I’m on a very comfortable trajectory and can afford a decent life for myself and my family." -u/soccerguys14

3. That's great!

"Signing up for school as soon as the pandemic hit, I now have a completely new career and life because I immediately took action after losing my income during the pandemic." -u/Maleficent_CHIC_1337

4. Testing self-control

"Practicing delayed gratification instead of instant cheap gratification."-u/Anonymous-Samurai

5. Never too late to find peace

"Leave my cheater, 1st wife, after 20yrs. Start meditating at 50yrs." -u/mrbbr

6. Being a parent is hard

"Having my son. I love him with everything I have, but damn life used to be so much simpler." -u/lurchylurker

7. Therapy saves lives

"Seeing a therapist about my anxiety." -u/RoughInstruction1253

8. Going on a fitness journey

"Started lifting weights and left Mormonism." -u/CreakRaving

9. Best decision ever!

"Before my husband and I were dating, we talked a lot and hung out as friends. The night before I was supposed to go to Vegas for a friend's birthday he kissed me. I went to see him the day I got back, and never came home. Now we are married with a perfect baby just under 2 years later." -u/Spiritual_Storm_2828

10. Trust your guts

"Made a spur-of-the-moment decision when I was 18 not to go to school for what I had planned for my entire teen life and applied to work in the UK for a few months
It completely changed the trajectory of my life." -u/Hazel_nut1992

11. Picking a healthy lifestyle

"I quit sugar. Anything that wasn’t fruit. I was the unhappiest I had ever been in my life and I told myself 'just 1 month'. Every hard day I just said 'one more day'. Then I kept going, eating healthy, no processed foods, working out, day-by-day I gained momentum. This completely changed my mind, body, and spirit." -u/goodcappuccino

12. Moving on

"There were several things along the way that changed my trajectory. I left my hometown and my best friend who decided to become a drug addict. Quit smoking and hanging around low-motivation people. Got a science degree that allowed me to earn a comfortable living." -u/climatelurker

13. Living a simpler life

"On my 40th birthday, I quit my job to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. After I finished the hike, I sold my house in the city and bought a small wilderness cabin and never made it back to work." -u/begaldroft

14. Say no to alcohol

"Quitting drinking. Hands down best decision I've ever made." -u/Agreeable_Yellow_117

15. Remove toxic people from life

"Breaking up contact with toxic people. Including a father and a sister. Should have done it 20 years ago." -u/Trumpassassin777

16. Doing things to boost confidence

"Choosing to participate in martial arts was a decision that forever changed my life. It had a profound impact on various aspects, including the way I talk, walk, and perceive myself." -u/Ghostrafbel

17. Be who you truly are

"Coming out, saved my life." -u/Dutch_Rayan

18. Saying yes to opportunities

"Decided when I started college to start saying yes to opportunities and to interact with people more often instead of being paralyzingly shy. Life immediately became less stressful and more fun. That has remained the case ever since." -u/dontkillhobos

19. Cut out the negativity

"Cut contact with my abusive mom." -u/Queen_of_meme

20. Good decision

"I was engaged at 24 we called it off a mutual decision. She went on to eventually marry and have 2 kids and raised a beautiful family. I moved out of state, lived in full amenity lofts in downtowns and went to every concert festival I wanted. I realized I wasn’t the family person and was glad we didn’t get in a situation that would have been detrimental to everyone especially if we got married and had kids." -u/ItsKindaIffy