The bad relationships. The wrong choices. The money we wish we hadn’t spent—the things we should have done differently.
But how often do we actually give ourselves credit for the decisions we got right?
Sometimes those decisions are huge, life-altering choices. Sometimes they’re financial decisions that make us hesitate because of the price tag. Sometimes they’re things we don’t fully appreciate until years later.
Lately, I’ve been trying to reflect more on the positives in my life instead of constantly picking apart everything I’ve done wrong.
So, these are some of the best decisions I’ve made so far.
1. Buying Whisker Litter-Robots
Hear me out.
I know a litter box probably isn’t what people expect to see on a list of “life-changing decisions,” but my Litter-Robots have genuinely made my life easier.
They were expensive. There is absolutely some sticker shock involved, and they still require routine cleaning and maintenance. They’re not some magical machine you buy and never touch again.
But for me, they have been worth every penny.
I tend to overwork myself. There are days when I come home completely exhausted, and there are also times when my depression gets the best of me. When that happens, even something as simple as scooping litter boxes every day can suddenly feel ridiculously overwhelming.
The Litter-Robot takes that pressure away.
I don’t have to worry about dragging myself out of bed late at night because I forgot to scoop. I don’t have to feel guilty if I’m sick and skip a day. I don’t have to worry as much if I’m struggling mentally and basic chores start piling up.
It also keeps the litter much fresher because waste is removed shortly after the cats use it instead of sitting there until I get around to scooping. That means the litter doesn’t get that gross, clay-like consistency nearly as quickly.
Even the cleanup isn’t terrible. Regular maintenance is quick, and honestly, even deep cleaning doesn’t take as long as I expected.
They’re also amazing when I travel because I don’t have to worry nearly as much about litter boxes getting disgusting while I’m gone.
And considering I have six cats and two Litter-Robots, that says a lot.
Was it an expensive investment? Absolutely.
Would I make the same decision again?
Without hesitation.
2. Getting a Hysterectomy
This one was much bigger.
I dealt with painful periods for as long as I can remember. We’re not talking about normal cramps or feeling uncomfortable for a few days. The pain was severe enough that I ended up in the emergency room almost monthly at different points in my life.
Eventually, as a young adult, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS.
I tried everything.
Different kinds of birth control. Different schedules. Skipping the placebo week entirely so I wouldn’t have a cycle. Medications. An ablation.
Nothing truly fixed the problem.
Birth control came with its own problems. I broke out. I was emotional. I still hurt. I was basically trading one miserable experience for another, hoping something would eventually work.
For a long time, I also wanted children.
At one point, I actively tried to have them. I went to a fertility doctor, tried Clomid, and went through that entire emotional process.
Looking back now, I’m actually thankful it didn’t work out.
Life changed. I changed.
Eventually, the pain returned with a vengeance. Here I was, well into adulthood, still finding myself in emergency rooms because of the same problem I had been fighting for years.
Finally, I begged for a hysterectomy.
And getting one became its own battle.
I went back and forth with doctors—particularly male doctors—about whether I should be allowed to make that decision about my own body. Ironically, when I finally saw my female OB-GYN, her response was basically an immediate yes.
Three years later, I am still incredibly grateful that I fought for it.
Do I know that I’ll never have biological children of my own?
Yes.
And I’m okay with that.
I’m a teacher. I get the privilege of impacting kids every single day without having to be their parent. I also have amazing nieces and nephews who bring me more joy than I could ever explain.
And if someday I decide that I genuinely want to become a parent, adoption will always be something I can consider.
Right now, though?
I’ve realized that I’m a little too selfish for children—and I don’t mean that as an insult to myself.
I like my time.
I like my money.
I like my freedom.
I like being able to build my life around what matters to me.
Having children requires sacrificing a tremendous amount of all three, and I have enough self-awareness now to admit that isn’t the life I want right now.
Choosing my health and my quality of life was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
3. Moving Away From Killeen, Texas
I was born and raised in Central Texas.
For most of my life, that was home.
It was familiar. My family was there. My history was there. Nearly everything I knew was connected to that place in some way.
But familiarity isn’t always the same thing as happiness.
When you grow up in a place where everyone knows everyone, people develop an idea of who you are. They remember who you were when you were younger. They know your family. They know your mistakes. They have expectations for you.
Sometimes it starts to feel like you’re living inside a version of yourself that everyone else created.
Killeen also very much felt like a good-ole-boys town to me. Connections mattered. Who you knew mattered. Money and power mattered.
Opportunities felt limited.
The pay was terrible.
Growth felt even harder.
Still, I stayed.
A huge reason was my mom.
After losing my dad, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t leave her side. As much as I sometimes wanted to leave Texas, leaving her wasn’t something I was willing to do.
Then I lost her too.
And suddenly, one of the biggest things keeping me there was gone.
Eventually, I decided to move to Kentucky, near Louisville.
It changed my life.
For the first time, I got to exist somewhere without everyone already having an opinion about who I was supposed to be.
I could just…be me.
I experienced new things. I found new opportunities. I grew professionally. I became more independent. I built a completely different life.
And I’m happier here.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t sacrifices.
I miss my niece and nephew like crazy. Some days, being hundreds of miles away from the people I love hurts.
But I also love the life I’ve created here.
I own a home—something I genuinely don’t know that I ever would have been able to accomplish if I had stayed where I was.
I built a career.
I built friendships.
I created a life that belongs to me instead of one shaped by everyone’s memory of who I used to be.
Moving was terrifying.
It was also one of the best things I ever did.
4. Finally Trying Pair Eyewear
I absolutely love Pair Eyewear.
I first saw them go viral on TikTok, and I had wanted to try them for a long time before I finally took the plunge.
And I’m so glad I did.
Honestly, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve found for combining fashion with something I actually need every day.
The base frames come in different styles and colors, so you can pick something that already fits your personality. Personally, I’m a basic black-frame girly. Give me a simple black pair of glasses, and I’m perfectly happy.
But that’s also what I love about Pair.
I can wear the base frame by itself when I want something simple, or I can completely change the look with a top frame when I’m in the mood for something more fun.
And the sunglasses feature?
One of my favorite parts.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to despise wearing contacts for about a million different reasons. I don’t want to deal with dry eyes. I don’t want to put them in and take them out. Half the time, I don’t want the hassle.
Pair lets me keep wearing my glasses without feeling stuck with the same look every day.
The top frames make it ridiculously easy to switch things up.
I can match a holiday.
I can wear something fun for back-to-school season.
I can change colors depending on my outfit or mood.
I can throw on a sunglass top when I’m outside.
And I don’t have to buy an entirely new pair of prescription glasses every time I want something different.
For someone who needs glasses anyway, that feels like such a fun little win.
It’s practical, but it also lets me play around with style in a way I never really did with glasses before.
And honestly, that’s part of why I love it so much.
Glasses used to feel like something I had to wear.
Now they feel more like an accessory I get to wear.
And I’m Still Adding to the List
This isn’t meant to be a finished list.
I’ll probably keep adding to it as I think of things, make new decisions, experience more of life, and realize that something I once questioned ended up changing my life for the better.
I need that reminder sometimes.
It’s incredibly easy for me to replay the mistakes.
The people I shouldn’t have trusted.
The chances I shouldn’t have taken.
The things I wish I could redo.
But I also got some things right.
Decisions that made my life easier.
Decisions that protected my health.
Decisions that forced me to grow.
Decisions that helped create the person and the life I have now.
And maybe reflecting on those decisions matters just as much as learning from the bad ones.
For now, I’m trying to give myself a little more credit for the life I’ve built.