Seemingly Minor Decisions That Accidentally Changed People's Lives Forever

Without being able to predict the future, we've all said or done things that we had no way of knowing how they would turn out.

Maybe some of those things led to ruined relationships or new job opportunities, but every once in a while, a small decision turns out to be a life-changing one.

Curious about others' experiences, Redditor Ordinary-Smile-654 asked:

"What's a seemingly minor decision you made that accidentally changed the entire course of your life?"

The Power Of Gamification

"Dad bought me 'Phantasy Star 4' for my birthday in the wrong language (Japanese). He asked if I wanted to return it, but I told him it was okay and that I would somehow figure it out (the minor decision)."

"I figured it out by making some sense of the language using a really manual way (matching katakana characters to English phonemes) by cross-checking with a battered game guide. The internet wasn't that big or accessible back then."

"Fast forward. That little head start eventually led to a postgraduate scholarship offer from the JP government. I've been here for a long time now, settled with my family and all."

- coffee_juice

A Simple New Year's Resolution

"I downloaded Duolingo as a random New Year's resolution to learn Italian. I got really into it, started watching Italian movies, and joined language exchange groups."

"Now I'm living in Florence, running my own tourism company. All because I was bored on January first."

- ElegantDreamgirl

"Duolingo should use you in their marketing."

- Youryellowb1rd

That Bus Ride That Wasn't Meant To Be

"Mine was: I missed a bus. That’s it. Just missed a bus."

"I was supposed to go to a job interview for a position I didn’t even want that badly. Bus didn’t show up on time, I got annoyed, said screw it, and went to a coffee shop instead."

"There, I ran into an old college friend I hadn’t seen in years. We got talking. Turns out she worked at a startup, and they were hiring. Two weeks later, I was working there."

"Three years later, we’re married. Still think about that bus sometimes."

- Ordinary-Smile-654

Asking For Help

"I told my mom I was having s**tty thoughts."

"I was 27, living in her basement, my girlfriend had just cheated on me and dipped out, breaking our lease, so I had to move home. I had failed to secure a promotion at work twice…"

"She connected me with a recruiter who helped me land a contracting job. Did that for three months, and the company I was at hired me full-time."

"That was 10 years ago. I now have a wife, three wonderful kids, a nice house with a beautiful pool, a great career, and a lot of great memories since then."

"I spoke up and had the right support system to get me out of my funk."

"My whole point is… There’s nothing wrong with asking for help and admitting you’re struggling. Someone will hear you."

- dins3r

An Academic Meet-Cute

"I got lost and asked a girl for directions; eleven years and three children later, I'd say the entire course of my life was changed."

"I was completely lost, looking for a room that was supposed to be used to give a library services talk. I thought she looked lovely, then walked up and asked, "'are you here for the library talk?'"

"She was quite taken aback by this abrupt question, as she was immersed in her own world, having just left a lecture. She answered, 'No,' and I, rather strangely, said, 'Well, you look like you know where you're going. I'll just follow you instead.'"

"At that exact moment, a TV screen behind her switched on, displaying the room number I had been searching for. Before she even had a chance to address my awkwardness, I quickly told her I needed to go."

"She later revealed that as I was leaving, she had signaled to her friend, indicating that she wanted backup, whispering to him, 'He's lovely, he's just my type!'"

"They proceeded to follow me as I descended the stairs. When I turned and noticed her, I asked, 'Are you following me?'"

"To my surprise, she smiled and replied confidently, 'Yes!'"

"And that... was that."

- ATM1689

When Kindness Is Rewarded

"Being supportive of my friend whose ex died. She called me when he passed, and I immediately had a 'Don’t move, I’m coming to get you' response, and we were attached at the hip for the following month."

"That day, I met the roommate of our friend who had passed, and he is now my husband."

"If I hadn’t picked up the phone or if I’d done the 'I’m so sorry, please let me know if you need anything,' and then hung up, or if I thought she needed space, my entire life would be different right now."

- chlowhiteand_7dwarfs

One Accidental Wave

"Not me, but my grandparents met because my grandad covered a shift (driving taxis) for a friend who was sick."

"My grandma waved at him as she was walking down the street, because she mistook him for someone she knew, so he pulled over, thinking she was hailing the cab. And the rest is history."

"It's wild to think I wouldn't be alive if that friend hadn't been sick, if my grandfather hadn't covered his shift, if his driving had taken him somewhere else at that moment, or if my grandmother hadn't accidentally waved at a stranger."

- cheshire_kat7

A New White Shirt For Every Anniversary!

"I decided to switch my usual coffee shop one morning because my regular place was packed. I met my now-husband of 12 years when I accidentally spilled my latte all over his white shirt."

"He still teases me about owing him a new one."

- PlayfulHoneybee

"Are you the main character in a romcom, by any chance?"

- ScorpionX-123

The Perfect Arrangement

"During a move, I had my choice narrowed down to three apartments. The one I chose turned out to be a block away from someone on my team at work."

"We didn’t know each other well at the time - same department, different teams."

"At some point, we discovered the proximity situation and made plans to hang out. To be honest, I thought we would just be buds and didn’t feel like we had a lot in common."

"I was super wrong, and still super in love almost 10 years later. We’re married, have travelled the world, and even have a small body of creative work after collaborating on a few freelance projects together through the years."

- birchsyrup

The Best Conference Ever

"I was 50/50 on going to a conference in my field on a given day six years ago. I was in a dark place at the time, personally."

"I ended up going only bc I was up for election to a leadership role in the organization."

"During a brief break period, by happenstance of being at the right place at the right time, I connected, by pure chance, with the woman who is now my wife, the love of my life, and best friend. It literally changed my life."

- sgt_schultz_the_ewok

Destiny Calling

"My aunt and uncle met because my uncle was walking past a pay phone, and it rang. He stopped to pick it up."

"She had dialled the wrong number, but (he said later) she had a nice voice, so he asked her for a drink. They've been married for over 50 years."

- No_Tour_1030

Already Dressing The Part!

"I decided to wear a particular coat to breakfast with a friend. The friend said that in that coat, I looked like I should be a student at a University I had never heard of then."

"I asked her what uni that was and she explained it's kind of a lefty/hippy uni that's really good for languages and has a really high number of foreign students, so you meet people from all over."

"I looked it up after our conversation and ended up doing my degree there. It totally changed my life."

- EchidnaOptimal3504

Chance Encounters

"I was bored and responded to a post on an anonymous messaging board where a newly moved-in dude was looking for people who liked beer and music. Met him in a park two days after, had some beers and talked music we liked."

"Five years later, he and his foreign fiancée both are my best friends, I'll have the honor of being his best man at their wedding, and I've been to places and experienced things I would never have dreamed of."

- pappaberG

Must Love Dogs

"I sold a guy one of seven puppies in a litter. We've been best friends for about ten years now."

"He was asking some questions about what to feed her, how best to care for her, etc. I told him I’d show him some local trails/nature reserves that are really nice walks to take the pup around."

"He’d never had a dog before and had never really left an urban environment. He discovered the joy and beauty of nature, and we really clicked and had a good laugh together."

"During our walks, he admitted he wasn’t really a tradesman like he said he was, he was working a crappy job he hated, but he was a lovely lad and had just got into it because his older brother did it and they worked together to pay their mum's rent. Over eight or ten weeks of going out three or four times a week, I convinced him to quit the job and come and work with me on site."

"I appreciated his hustle and 'I can make it happen' attitude, and he appreciated my more simple way of life, hard work, and nature, not fast cars and rough girls."

"He’s got his own business now and I get him in to 'make good' after I finished my job. I do wood burners and he comes in and plasters, decorates, and waste removals when I’m done - and with his hustling nature, he’s started doing scrap metal and repointing and jet washing drives and other bits of handiwork as well."

"He'd just never been taught the value and reward of honest hard graft, but now he’s got a taste for it, he’s unstoppable!!"

- burner4lyf25

The Talking Animals Channel

"I dubbed voices onto a couple of cats for fun late at night when I was supposed to be finishing up a deadline."

"'The Talking Animals' YouTube channel was born, and my entire way of life changed."

- TheKingOfDub

"Oh my god, the 'Ultimate Dog Tease' video is one of the best videos on YouTube; thank you for that!"

- siaht

"You've made so many people so happy. I love your videos!"

- Nopity_Nope_Nope

From unique job opportunities to incredible meet-cutes, there's really no telling what might be waiting around the corner for you if you put yourself out there a little bit and occasionally try something new.