Last Updated on October 16, 2022
Want your life to change?
You need to remember that your life won’t change if you simply wish for it. If you want your life to change, you need to get out there and do something.
So in this post, let’s go over eight inspiring stories about people who went to great lengths to change their lives.
The goal of this article is to provide you with insightful stories and inspiration that can encourage you to change your life for the better.
Table of Contents
1. Feeling lost and alone, in the middle of nowhere
Once, there was a little girl who lived comfortably. Her mom and dad were wealthy, and she could have everything she wanted.
The problem? Her parents had no time for her. They were always busy with work. And so, she was left all alone in their big house.
One day, she felt so down. That time, she waited for her parents to leave their house so she could start a journey of her own without their knowledge.
When her mom and dad were out of sight, she took a step outside of their home, walked forward, and never looked back. When she walked far enough, she got exhausted and wanted to sit down. It was then she realized she was in the middle of nowhere.
She was all alone.
But because she was tired of her life and wanted it to change, she accepted her fate. She was out of her comfort zone, and what’s about to come to her might be even more challenging.
But she was determined. So she did what was practical and kept going forward.
2. Going back to school at the age of 46
Karen Whitehead quit her job to take care of her mother who was struggling with age-related illnesses. Her mother was terribly sick, and Karen wanted to be there for her parent.
In addition to caring for her mother, she runs a private practice to assist people with anxiety and chronic illnesses. She wants to help them manage their stress and the anxiety that results from illnesses.
She also enrolled in Boston University’s online Master of Social Work program.
The reason she decided to be so busy? She wanted to stay productive for the better and avoid giving in to the frustrations she might feel because of her mother’s unfortunate situation.
3. Leaving a miserable, high-paying job and renting a house
Her name is Leslie Scott. She knew she worked in a toxic environment because her employer kept demanding too much from her. For a while, it didn’t bother her because her work was financially rewarding — it awarded her a six-figure salary.
But when her health was compromised because of her employer’s pressure and how busy she was, she let it all go without batting an eye.
After she left her life in a fast-paced setting, she went to the woods. There, she rented a cabin next to the river and tried to adjust to her new environment.
At first, she found her new environment challenging. She missed her old life and felt tempted to go back to it. There came a point that she worried about finances.
But after nine months, things got better for her — she landed a job in the recreation industry. She eventually decided to start her own bath and beauty company Walton Wood Farm, something that became a multi-million dollar company.
4. The weight of the glass
Some time ago, a female psychology student overheard a boy, named Angel, tell his friends about his worries regarding life. So she approached them and gave them an unforgettable lesson.
As she walked towards them, she held on to a glass of water and asked them:
“How much does this water weigh?”
“I don’t know,” Angel said with a shrug.
“Eight ounces!”
“Wrong,” the student said.
“2 pounds!”
“Wrong again.”
“What is the right answer?” Angel asked.
“The way I see it, the actual weight — the weight in numbers — is irrelevant. What’s relevant is how much time a person spends holding it.”
“What do you mean?” asked Angel.
“If you spend less than a minute holding the glass of water, you’ll observe that it’s fairly light. Meanwhile, if you spend hours with it in your hands, your arm might ache. And if you spend almost a day holding it, your arm is likely to cramp and feel numb,” she explained.
“Oh. I suppose that makes sense.”
“Yes. It’s just like your worries. The longer you worry, the heavier your heart will feel.”
5. If there’s a will, there’s a way
An old man took his young nephew to see the highest height on a hill. While he wanted to go to the top, he accepted that he wasn’t strong enough to get there. And so he told his nephew that together, they’ll just admire the majestic view.
But the nephew didn’t want to simply look at what’s in front of them. He argued that they have what it takes to get on top of the hills — and so they did. He helped his uncle during the climb, and sometimes, he tied up the old man on his back.
The nephew had an effortless time climbing to the top because he was physically fit. Plus, he knew his way around the hill. He told his uncle he used to play there frequently when he was a little boy.
He told his uncle that there is always a way to make this feat — and anything — come true. The young man added that while admiring things from afar is good, nothing beats the actual experience.
6. The search
A man named Rafe wanted someone to always be by his side. He wanted someone who understood him and saw the world in the same way. So he began searching for a woman to be his partner.
But during his travels around the world, he became wiser. He learned a lot about himself, heard legendary stories, and gained enlightenment.
By then, he realized he was asking for too much. He learned that a partner is someone you attract — and not just someone who enters your life because you want them to.
So he stopped his search. Rather than keep looking for a woman, he invested his time in activities that improved the way he saw himself. He built his self-confidence, got a rewarding career, and learned a trade.
Ironically, that’s the time a life partner presented herself to him.
7. The loss of a wife
Allen Klein’s wife died from a rare liver disease at age 34. He loved her immensely and got so devastated that he began to see life differently. His wife and the life he had with her were what he lived for.
After her death, he didn’t know what to do. He felt like his life was going downhill.
He sank into depression. And he got so impulsive at one point that he left his company, the company he worked so hard to build, to his partner.
Then he started going to nightclubs that featured stand-up comedies. And that was when he realized how humor significantly helped alleviate his grief.
So he researched some more about the subject. He was so impressed by what he learned — by how powerful humor is — that he decided to write stories and books about it.
His first story, The Healing Power of Humor, became a best-seller primarily because of how helpful it is to other people who are coping with grief. It has even been translated into a ninth language!
His success as an author is how he found himself smiling again. 10 years ago, he never would’ve imagined himself to be in his current place. But he knows that things change and sometimes, the best course of action is to adapt to them.
8. What is life all about?
Once there was a girl who had the freedom to do anything she wanted. So she did what made her heart happy: Painting!
She spent years painting. And all those years, she was happy.
But one day, when she finished painting one of her masterpieces, she got anxious. She went on a break and stopped painting for a while.
It was then that she realized her life was meaningless.
Sure, she painted beautiful artworks. Her paintings were amazing, and she knew it. Beyond these paintings, however, she had no life.
So from that moment on, she began delving into other areas., too. And she started to sell her art and donate the funds to charitable organizations.
What can these short stories about change in life do for you?
These short stories are meant to inspire you. As you have read above, the people who changed their lives didn’t have it easy. They were, however, determined to be in better situations.
That’s how you should be, too. You should also be determined.
Remember, change may be uncomfortable. But don’t let it discourage you from pursuing it and other great things. Soon enough, you’ll get used to your new situation.
And if you have a short story about change that you’d like to share, tell us about it here.
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She freelances as a web content writer from home. And she lives with the prettiest dog in the world.
