We often fail to realize the power words hold and only realize it when we see how something we said changed someone's life for the better.
There are a lot of things we know we need to do to make our lives more fulfilling. However, often we need the right motivation and support to initiate any kind of change. That is until we hear the correct words at the correct time, that's when we change. In this story posted on Reddit, user u/OptimisticOctopus8 spoke about how a random comment they had mindlessly posted changed the actual trajectory of someone's life.
The person began their story by saying how six years ago, they came across a post talking about an abusive relationship the writer of that post was in. So, they did what everyone who read that post was doing, they commented on the post and asked that person to leave. However, they didn't do it like everybody. They didn't say the standard, "Dump them, get a lawyer, delete Facebook, hit the gym" thing. They went on to change their mind and lives differently and it was wonderful.
They began by telling the person in the abusive relationship what it would be like to have a relationship opposite to their current one. They explained that if the future they wanted to include a healthy relationship, they needed to let go of this current toxicity to embrace the good their future might have in store for them. They added in their current post, "I also reassured them about some things that worried them." They said that the only reason they even remembered the comment was because somebody reminded them recently, and that barring that, they have no real memory of even writing it. That's why when they received an email notification in response to their forgotten comment from the other account and got excited.
The email notification was from the person they'd advised, and that person was beyond grateful. The person in the abusive relationship told the person how their comment had motivated them to leave their abusive relationship and stay single for a bit before going to therapy and getting better. They also learned how healthy relationships worked via therapy. Not just that, they also moved on and away from their abusive ex and began a new career, one which their toxic ex told them they were too stupid for. They also told the person that they were in a mutually respectful and satisfying relationship that seemed like an unimaginable fairytale at one point in their lives. The individual said, "It made me cry happy tears. It's so touching and it's amazing to think I changed somebody's life through a Reddit comment or, to be more realistic, helped them realize they were ready to change their life." They ended their post on the note that this is going to be their touchstone whenever they feel like they're worthless or useless.
u/ToeInternational3417 said, "I love this! I have been on the receiving end of this. I was in an abusive relationship, and when I first posted about it, some of the comments just felt horrible (not saying yours was!). But, some of them made me think - and think very hard. I am now six months out of that relationship and never return. I am so grateful to all the communities on Reddit." u/DataAdvanced said, "There was this one guy on Facebook I was having a fight with about hitting kids as a form of punishment. Sadly, I was in favor. After some back and forth, he convinced me I was wrong. I'm so grateful to him. I could have fucked up my kid. I found a WAY better way to punish him that IS a punishment to him, but fucking great to me." u/wakeboarderCWB said, "I don’t care how tough you are, this is enough to make you tear up. Good for you. We need more people like you in this world, and less like that person’s ex."