Foolish decision #1:
I decided to get married at 18 right before graduating from high school. Was it foolish? Absolutely! Was it a mistake? Without a doubt! Am I sorry? Hell no! By getting married to a Marine at 18, I was able to get out of my mom's house, move to California, and most importantly, I had my beautiful son. Add to that, it also gave me the kick in the rear that I needed to get into college.
Foolish decision #2:
Leaving my job in advertising after 5 years for direct sales. Again, it was a dangerous move, and yes, it did have economic repercussions. I had a "safe and secure" job. I had a retirement policy, and I had a customer base that loved me. The reasons for leaving now are really unimportant other than the fact that I felt I had to move on. In hind-sight, though, my job would have been in serious jeopardy since it was in the newspaper industry, and many of my previous coworkers have been let go. I have also built a far more diverse resume that has opened doors that would have been closed to me before.
Foolish decision #3:
This is the most recent, and I have yet to have the benefit of hind sight. I left my home in Charleston, SC after almost 14 years to begin again in Bokeelia, FL. I had never even heard of this place. I quite literally picked it off of the map because I liked the way it looked. It took me a month or so to find a job, and yes, my home is not what it was back in Charleston. What I have found, though, is a tropical paradise. The weather is consistently wonderful. The wildlife is diverse and the plants are exotic. I live 5 miles from a site ripped from a Corona Beer commercial. The people are laid back and friendly. I have moved from my home to find my heart.
Ironically, it is right outside of Cape Coral and Fort Myers - two cities hard hit by the current economic downturn. Driving to work, I see vast areas with homes sitting empty. I see commercial shops in beautiful new buildings just waiting for life. It is like a model home community before the opening date. In North Ft Myers, there are luxury waterfront condos going for less than $100,000. A home in Cape Coral can run $40,000. A trailer for sale on Pine Island is a mere $2,000. We are 2 hours from Disney World!
These are two cities holding their breath and waiting. Perhaps in a few years, I will be able to look back and see that this move that I made purely on an intuitive level was the best decision of my life.