Waking up and everythings different

[KMD]

Have you ever woken up one morning, and decided to make a life altering decision?

Okay, it doesn't have to be in the morning, but was there ever a time when you decided things weren't working and you made a huge change in your life? Anything that made you inspired or scared?

[BlueCross]

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 
And sorry I could not travel both 
And be one traveler, long I stood 
And looked down one as far as I could 
To where it bent in the undergrowth;         
 
Then took the other, as just as fair, 
And having perhaps the better claim, 
Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 
Though as for that the passing there 
Had worn them really about the same,         
 
And both that morning equally lay 
In leaves no step had trodden black. 
Oh, I kept the first for another day! 
Yet knowing how way leads on to way, 
I doubted if I should ever come back.         
 
I shall be telling this with a sigh 
Somewhere ages and ages hence: 
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 
I took the one less traveled by, 
And that has made all the difference.

R. Frost

[Hoopy Frood]

Except for that actual meaning of that poem is pretty much the opposite of the original question.

The gist of the poem is that sometimes we are faced with choices that seem equally appealing but have for the most part exclusive outcomes that can't be undone. So we pick one, because "Why not?" But at some point, people will ask us to justify those decisions, so we make up some bullshit reason as to why we made the decision. Because "Why, not?" is hardly going to satisfy most people's curiosity.

Personally, sometimes you should just say "Screw it!" and walk amongst the trees.

[BlueCross]

I think perhaps you might have overthunk that a bit.

[Hoopy Frood]

I think perhaps you might have overthunk that a bit.

But most who cite that poem underthink it. They don't really understand what Frost was getting at. After all, it says that both paths were pretty much worn equally. There was no path "less traveled".

The poem is meant to by a cynical observation that not everything has to be done for a good reason. It's not supposed to be some uplifting message about taking the less popular option. Sometimes we just do what what we do for no real reason. But for some people, using "just because" is not a good enough reason, they expect more elaboration.

[BlueCross]

Here's another view of the 'misreading' of Frost's poem:
http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/09/11/the-most-misread-poem-in-america/

and, by the way, I think the above article is compete bollocks.

And since Frost himself explicitly states "I took the one less traveled by", it seems a bit ludicrous to say "There was no path 'less traveled'."

I also don't see much cynicism, and I know cynicism.

But I guess we all see things a bit differently.

And we did, unfortunately, derail this thread quite a bit.

[KMD]

That wasn't a rhetorical question

[BlueCross]

My long (and somewhat obscure) answer above was "Yes" but with a strong suggestion that I suspect everyone goes through this a couple of times in their life.

My short answer is "Yes". 

I also suspect that many of our decisions are significantly life altering but we may not know it at the time; but I think you were specifically asking if any of us had made such a decision consciously knowing that it would definitely be life altering.  And my answer is still "yes".  Marriage comes to mind; joining the military (at the height of the Vietnam war!) was another; moving back from Europe to the states (I really wanted to stay in Europe but circumstances pretty much prohibited that); quitting a stable job to take a flyer on a new company (= security goes down, thrill & excitement goes up).   And probably a few more.  More than I thought, once I thought about it.

Of course, I may be overthinking it.

[KMD]

I was hoping for specific stories

In middle school, my grades were slipping and I was on the verge of failing (or having to take summer school). I had lost a lot of motivation to do or turn in homework. I remember my mother crying because she was disappointed and she didn't want to see me held back, so I promised her things would change. They did. Even though that was over a decade ago, and we've both let it go, I have maintained least a B average since and was prepared for the responsibilities of high school and college. Its a moment that I knew was a turning point in my life.

[Five]

The only big change that ever lasted was when I stopped eating meat. It happened literally during one day, and I stopped forever, without failure. That was the easiest thing I've ever done, and I have zero trouble to keep it going. As for other things, I've had many realisations, but the thing related to them never worked, and I'm still trying to change.

[TK]

I'm sure there have been many epiphanies like deciding to be the best I can be in a crappy job to attract better prospects, cutting ties with a constantly abusive family.  I think the chief life changing decision was to have children, the choice itself is kind of a watershed moment but when you hold that little life for the first time the responsibility, potential and above all the need to make sure you're always worthy of such a fantastic gift hits you like a thunder bolt.  Very little in this life comes close in terms of being a complete shift in perception.

[Pipboy 2000]

I woke up today, saw that I was now 33, and then had a usually crappy day. I've had plenty of epiphanies, but they never stick around to be realities.