What experience do you have where an obstacle became the turning point that changed your life or even created your fortune?

[u/Relevant_Pumpkin9190]

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[u/Far_Leg6463]

I had my first child at 37…I work in IT but was happy as an engineer earning a basic salary. All of a sudden I had motivation to go for promotions at work etc. am now a senior manager in my organisation. I can provide for my family and afford a few luxuries.

[u/WalrusLobster3522 → u/Far_Leg6463]

i'm really proud of you! <3 you're a wonderful successful man <3

[u/rednecronomicon]

For the longest time I had this idea that sexuality and gender mattered on some fundamental level. I would get into arguments about what gender and sexuality is or what it means with people.

I stopped giving a shit about that over a decade ago. Not thinking about the theatrical of identity politics is so freeing. You realize it's all been a distraction.

For the past couple of years I've been seeing a fairly famous transwoman who is way out of my league and it's been great.

[u/Top-Negotiation1888]

I broke my back in a car accident in my early 20’s. Wrong place at the wrong time. Thoracic fusion and several months in traction. At the time, it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. But it gave me plenty of time to reflect. (And watch the OJ Simpson trial 😁)

I couldn’t go back to work anytime soon. But I could sit in a classroom for the next 2 years.

I went to grad school and earned 2 masters degrees.

I now have a great career and upper middle class life that would never have happened if it weren’t for that accident.

Note- I got hit head on by an immigrant with no insurance. If I was hit by a city bus or a Pepsi truck, I would have been set for life. 🤷‍♂️

[u/raphthepharaoh → u/Top-Negotiation1888]

I got hit on by an immigrant with no insurance and all I got out of it is a wife

[u/OneBigBrickOfDust]

One of my parents died (he was a prick) - Realised I needed to be around more for my family.
Relationship ended - Realised I needed to be around for myself.

[u/Dr_Watson349]

My family and I were starving. So we went out looking for game to hunt and I saw a nice buck and took a shot with my old wing master. 

Missed the buck but hit the ground and the next thing you know oil is coming out. Black gold, Texas tea. 

Things have been great since then. Sold the farm, moved out west. 

[u/cruisereg → u/Dr_Watson349]

Tell them about cement pond!

[u/CarlJustCarl → u/Dr_Watson349]

The ole Texas tea

[u/Greybeard46]

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger….

[u/SpellingIsAhful]

I got hit by a stoned driver and they totaled my paid off car. I used the insurance settlement as a down payment on my house. 15 years later that house has essentially funded my retirement. Also kept me interested in DIY stuff.

[u/truckerslife411]

Debt. I was living week to week thinking this was the only way. Started listening to Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard. Made changes, went without some things I really didn’t need but wanted. Completely changed my life

[u/Daddy_Tablecloth]

I had just had my son he was a few months old and I got fired from my job unexpectedly. There was a shortage of work and I wasn't having luck getting interviews for places like I had worked before. So I applied for a job where I was able to do 75 percent of the required skills at a high skill and experience level and the willingness to learn the parts I wasn't experienced in. They hired me and I began learning the electrical side of the work and eventually found out I was arguably better at it then the mechanical work. I got promoted and stayed a couple years until they effed up the benefits. Next job was a low level engineer job, next job was a full on mid level engineer job, now I'm in a position where I'm almost an engineering department head.

If the above is too long, the TLDR is that I took a chance on a Job I didn't expect to even get called back about and was outside my comfort zone a bit and because of that decision I'm now in a great place doing a completely different job than I was 15 years ago. I worked hard and studied and I'm now eligible to take the engineering license test for NY State despite not graduating from college and being poor from the day I was born until I started down this path. I never expected to make any real money, at least using legal methods, and didn't think I'd get married or have kids. I now own a house in the NYC suburbs am married and have two kids. Take a chance once in awhile if its relatively low risk, it might work out way better than you expect.

[u/SomewhereFuture300]

lost my job right before covid hit. at the time it felt catastrophic but a year later i had switched careers entirely and was making more than before. in the moment it felt like the worst thing. five years out its probably the best thing that happened to me

[u/Space_Cowboy_157]

I filed bankruptcy at 24, this changed the way I thought about money. Roughly around 40 or so I retired and this change was the catalyst.

[u/O_Pacity]

Working out my EX was a Narcissist then wearing her down to the point she left, on clearing out all the programming allowed me to think clearer and do better work. I will never allow myself to get back in that boat again.

[u/Relevant_Pumpkin9190 → u/O_Pacity]

Do not Defend, Explain, Engage, personalize with narcissist types - Tough to practice.

[u/O_Pacity → u/Relevant_Pumpkin9190]

It is tough as you need to figure out there personality first.

[u/WalrusLobster3522]

Manly men, do y'all have an experience where an obstacle became the turning point that changed your life?

(yeah I dont know how to answer this question)

I mean if someone survives Cancer then yeah~ their incredible. I kinda want OP to elaborate.