51–60 of 247 posts
(Not trying to score sympathy points) I got diagnosed with metastatic cancer (incurable). Five weeks later (while getting chemo) I quit my job. I was a workaholic software developer. I haven't programmed since. Best decision I ever made and I'm happy and enjoy life (with some limitations).
But in 2001 earthquake stuck and the exams were postponed. That extra time helped me complete my studies and I got more marks. Which helped me get into good college and have a stable career.
A tragedy actually changed my life.
I remember a conversation with a dear friend of mine. I was studying CS at the time, he was studying Philosophy. We went into a discussion over some esoteric topics, and we got stuck on a definition of a word, so I asked him "but how do we know what exactly does [the word] mean ?", to which in response he paused, looked me in the eye, and just said: It means whatever the hell we agree it means. That sentence has been…
> Ever since I've been spending a lot of time learning how to communicate effectively
How exactly do you learn this?
Nothing else has been more transformative.
Clothes dryers aren’t that popular in Europe. Getting one a year ago and having access to clean clothes faster and with less effort had a surprisingly big positive impact on me.
For me personally, I never bought one. I have a garden and the sun works quite well, it is much cheaper and a very easy environmental way to dry your clothes. (In the USA, clothes dryers are the third most consuming residential electrical energy consumers)
In 2012 I bought a book called "Getting Out: Your Guide to Leaving America". It had a chapter on how to move to (almost) every country in the world. Nothing seemed practical, I didn't have the skills and there was a recession. But in the end there were some interviews with people who had left, and there was a throwaway line: "I got a working holiday visa for Ireland" I didn't even know working holiday visas existed!…
I've also seen it combined with student visas, so one year on a student visa to learn the language (that costs more in most countries, although there are some countries with relatively cheap language courses and possibility to work for up to 20 hours a week, example Japan or France) then a working holiday visa and then finding a sponsor.
I've found that nothing lights a fire under your ass to get yourself into shape quite as much as having kids, especially as I was on the older side when I had mine.
I still maintain that everyone of a sound mind should do psychedelics once. There are no real negatives (only meta negatives such as from loss of coordination leading to a fall, all of which are prevented by a trip sitter), and the perspective it gives you, namely being able to experience different emotion towards things including yourself, is invaluable.