general Turning points in your life

[Dreambiscuit 6,852]

Everything we do every day contributes to our ultimate path in life, but I’d like to hear about your most definitive moments or experiences and how they shaped the person you are today. Some things can be profound and change the direction of your life in an instant; others can be very subtle or even mundane but still have a huge effect in the long run. Please give us a few examples of moments that have changed the direction of your life and why.    

[Will Guide 21,234]

@Dreambiscuit

First of all, I wanted to leave a message on your profile but I don't see the reply box. I couldn't wish you a Happy Birthday this past May because of it. See if you can fix that.

Anyway, I can list a few turning point in my life.

The first time I played a video game console (a SNES in an Embassy Suites) it led to me becoming a gamer.

The death of my mother when I was 9. Made me relate to missing mothers in Disney films more, especially Dumbo.

And first seeing Friendship is Magic, it led to me coming here to the Forums and making good online friends

[Dreambiscuit 6,852]

1 minute ago, Will Guide said:

The death of my mother when I was 9. Made me relate to missing mothers in Disney films more, especially Dumbo.

I'm truly sorry to hear about this. And that scene in Dumbo is hard enough on its own, even without the personal loss. 

[The Wife of Law 18,772]

My last turning point was when I was admitted the psychiatric unit for the 4th time. I took a long, hard look at what I needed to do to live a better life and I was discharged a few days later with a brand new, better outlook on life.

[TheRockARooster 43,672]

A turning point in my life is when a met a wonderful girl who has become so special to me, her name is @Dreambiscuit. 

[SharpWit 2,311]

Deciding to move in with my girlfriend in early February. I worked for a good company but frankly I was miserable there and still miserable at home. I live in Washington State, ground zero for the pandemic in the USA, and she was in her final stretch of school in the east, so in a way I got out just before everything quite literally happened.  Although we still in the thick of it and we moved back and into my parents house for the past two months but should be moving into an apartment tomorrow so yay!  But we avoided the initial scare in more populated places.

Before that, I suppose it was asking my girlfriend out, although she really kickstarted the relationship, I just said the right words to make it official. We're on month 19, and obviously still going very strong. She means the world to me and is the only person I've ever been this close with.

Applying to work at a petting zoo. While the work was seasonal, it surrounded me with great people and animals whom I already immensely enjoyed, but this was on a whole other level of fantastic. I've spent most of my working life there this summer would have been my 4th season, and it's where I met my girlfriend who was my manager for the first 2 years!

The death of my dog in February of 2016. It's personal and created a lot of damage that I still struggle to deal with, but it was my senior year at a point where I felt like I was getting over the previous turning point, and it destroyed me. She was a good girl. My best friend and sometimes the only one I had the opportunity of seeing each and every day.

In 2014, I moved from my childhood home of about 10 years at the end of my sophomore year. I couldn't see the people whom I'd known for so long and made me laugh constantly on such a regular basis. I didn't make any new friends my Junior year, everything was too different and I wasn't wanting any part in it. I had moved but I hadn't moved on.

8th grade was a fantastic year for me. I really opened up to others, made friends whom I only talk to a handful of times a year but I consider really close and when we meet up its like I was never gone. It was also the year I joined this Fandom midway through season 2. I sort of found myself and while I look different physically. I could sit down with that kid today and it'd be like looking in a mirror.

4th grade was where I sort of happened across a book about WW2 and also read the Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen. These inspired me into being a bit of a survivalist/prepper, and wanting to dive into history. 5th grade was where we watched President Obama's innaugheration. At the time I didn't find the man inspiring, I was too young to appreciate that, but the event itself sparked a want for leadership. Unfortunately a nihilistic viewpoint on what opportunities for leading positions arose and a content attitude to not taking on further responsibility have continuously gotten in the way. I've only myself to blame, but playing politics online is fun!

2nd grade I had moved to my long term childhood home. This was my reset for everything. I was very much still me, but I thoroughly became an observer and integrated myself into this new place.

Whenever I saw my first Dinosaur and watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse o the Black Pearl, in theatres. Those set me up for life with my child like wonder and varying obsessions.

Apologies for the brief life story, but I have my fair share of key moments.

[zerox 933]

Hmmmm... I had quite a few situations to deal with in the past few years. My dog died in 2013, my mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and had 2 surgeries and chemotherapy, she survived, next year my father was diagnosed with cancer and he died 11 months afterwards. He was 56. Well I could post even more shitty stuff that happened in my life but I'm too lazy to write more. I have been feeling broken for the last 5+ years. Meh I'm actually tired from living.

[Adorable Lovestar 243]

When I became a whole person, back in June. Things have been a lot different since then.

[Here No Longer 5,264]

• Probably the earliest for me was when I started playing video games when I was around 6. I believe I played Pokemon Red as my first game. Gaming and game design would both become passions of mine. Now I seem to be one of the best there is at my Paladins main and I'm not far from a live release of a game project of mine (FINALLY...). Just have to print stuff out at Office Depot, test for a bit, and make some adjustments and then I will put it out there.
• One for the worse was when my mother passed away in 2009, months after we moved to Texas from Washington State. I was 11 years and 9 months old at the time. Also my dad's stepfather died around the same time. Honestly that was pretty hard for me at the time, and I don't think I'll ever be entirely over it.
• Another for the worse was when my grandma moved out of what is now my dad's house. I pretty much lived in poverty until quite recently as my dad couldn't financially support himself all too well and my grandma was getting less and less generous, considering she's burning her life savings up on him.
• I met my current boyfriend late February of last year, and now I've lived with him since about October. Huge improvement to my life and it's allowed me to really pursue what I've been meaning to pursue for a few years now. Soon I'm going to be a Paladins YouTuber and have a game under my belt as I have access to the resources. Of course I also love him, more than he sometimes seems to recognize.

Edited August 15, 2020 by Dusknoir

[Tom Gallagher 33,408]

The biggest turning point in my life was when I first became a brony, without a doubt. In the year and two months since, everything in my life has changed and I’m much better person having known these six ponies right here. 

[Splashee 28,471]

The first turning point in my life was while entering the digital age. A saw a game called Sonic The Hedgehog, played it as a girl's house, then got my brother to rent it, then bought it. Spent half my life studying the game and how it works. One game to change everything.

[SparklingSwirls 21,108]

My biggest turning point happened two years ago, when I left my hometown and moved to DC for college. I was finally living on my own in a city I loved and felt free. Not free as in independent (I had already had to be independent...) but free in that I could finally start achieving my dreams, I guess.

[Dreambiscuit 6,852]

My main turning points, best I can recall, are meeting Cinderella on my first trip to Disneyland at age 6; that had a profound impact on my young imagination and I carried that with me my whole life. Never underestimate what seems like ‘the little stuff.’

Moving out of my parents’ house and living on my own was a big step that helped me to get out of my OCD-addled mind and open up into a regular, healthy life.

Getting the job that I currently hold (albeit in a slightly evolved capacity now than its original incarnation) which was literally a lifelong dream come true.

Meeting my soul sister at work a year after I started my job; that was a friendship moment that even Twilight would consider extraordinary.

The day my cousin moved in with me to replace my former roommate; she changed my life in some unexpected and positive ways.

Finally, when I got hitched; it didn’t really change me in any particular way, but it did change the complexion of life overall in many wonderful ways.   

[IronM17 5,132]

Well, I had two important turning Points in my life. And both were almost at the same time.

My job life was a catastrophe. I was member of a time work company and I was almost every week in another factory as the man for everything (but nothing big). And afetr I was kicked out of the time work company (they say it was because they did not find new factories for so many members of the company so they had to kick out some of them ... I don't believe that really because I was later a person who also said his opinion and they usually don't want such people because they can not do anything with them). And after this, I had finally time to look for a new job or the posibility to get my Abitur/Fachabitur (the abitur is important when you want to go to the University). And I finally found a school where I could make my Abitur. And with that, I feel that I have now the chance to make a education which can bring me far in my life and which is interesting for me (more correct I study earth science). I am not the yes sayer I was early in my life. I have a goal and I want to reach that goal. 

The second was actual the MLP Fandom. In my youth, I was a loner who hated to make contact with other people (that has different really personal reasons). I was afraid to make new friends because I was dissapopinted by "friends" I had. But when I met some persons in a german MLP Forum who seemed to be nice, I wanted to met them in real life. And that happened. And nowadays, I am a social really open person who have friends and a life. My personality have changed a lot. 

[DixonTheAdversary 1,626]

I think when I had to make my first insurance payment on my car is one of the biggest turning points in my life. 

[Vefka 1,492]

Summer camp. My friend and I went to the summer camp, but we didn't know that we had to specify that we wanted to be in the same group, so we ended up in different ones. We only saw each other on the first and on one of the latest days, so I had to socialize with others. This was very mentally painful and I even cried a lot in the beginning, but in the end I gained social skills and the last days were awesome. Before this I was afraid of doing anything involving talking, I remember once I endured whole 3 classes with terrible stomach ache because I was too scared to ask the permission to go home

[Splashee 28,471]

Another Sonic moment for me was when I discovered and made level select and debug work in Sonic 3. You have a few seconds to input a series of inputs, and after that you get to see how the game was made. What I learned was how hexadecimal numbers work, and that was before I did any computer programming

[Miss 5,322]

Back in high school I was dating this girl for about a year on and off. Our relationship was pretty terrible after the first 3 months. She cheated on me and lied to me and made me feel bad alot etc. 

Many times I broke up with her but she made me feel terrible about it and I would always go back with her. Very toxic relationship. She also just wasn;t a very good person, very selfish and jealous etc. 

Anyway, also in high school I had lots of anxiety and self degradation issues, so being with her made those issues worse. 

Finally, and definitively, I was able to break up with her. And later when she tried to make me feel bad about it. I didn't. 

That moment was almost like a "hey you're worth something" kinda moment. My anxiety pretty much went away after that, and my self-degradation also was gone. And wow, life was just pretty much mentally after that. Diff. had a more positive outlook on life. 

[TBD 16,730]

I wish I have a turning point but even if I do, it's probably going to be the wrong turn

[Splashee 28,471]

That day when my family brought home a Windows 95 computer. It sure changed my life a lot 

[DubWolf 15,739]

Hmm.

Nothing significant i can think of.

I’d say college to an extent. It was one of the first times I felt I was no longer at the head of the pack, after so much time in grade school with good accomplishments and/or recognition. I won’t digress.

I guess I felt I never really had to try. I just went with the motions and that worked for the most part. Even if I worked hard I liked doing it. Wasn’t the case in college.

Edited August 25, 2020 by WWolf

[Tao 6,176]

Oh boies,  hold ur horses...

 

• Loosening weight and having guys check me out
• loosening that "thing"
• having a girlfriend,  exploring my sexuality
• anime
• books
•  Making a few lifelong friends ( me and spunk have hit the over 20 years till now)
• Leaving MI to AZ
• Coming back from AZ to MI
• Being homeless  twice
• Getting my drivers Licence at age in my 30's
• Owning a car
• TRAVELING!
• Death my grandmother in my 20's..... ( she has and still plays role in my life)

[Brony Number 42 8,672]

Realizing I hated grad school and didn't want to do physics as a career.

[Yakamaru 2,911]

There have been quite a few turning points in my life.

Biggest one happened back in 2016 when I found out I was living in a sort of prison and Hell of my own making. And that is when the desperation started to manifest itself. The sort of desperation that is in the back of your head, lowkey screaming that you need and must do something about the.... curse that you have self-inflicted/imposed. 

I had no one to call a best friend, social anxiety were through the roof, health was excruciatingly poor in various ways, no car or licenses of any kind, no job referrals and lacked a lot of even the most basic communication skills.

It will take a hella lot to write all the stuff that's happened in these 4 long years, and can go into some details if people want me to. 

Going from a life of chaos, laziness and disarray to having a stable job driving forklifts, being able to socialize without issues and are now in pretty good health? 

To quote Jordan B. Peterson: "Clean your room". And so I did.

[Splashee 28,471]

Realizing that a hard drive crash is devastating, for a long time, but starting over can make you better! The difference in choices made made it a turning point in my life