They say life isn’t about the things that happen to you, but about the decisions you make. There’s a ton of coverage about the best decisions people have made, but not nearly enough conversation about the tough decisions. We asked folks we admire to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve ever had to make and have shared some of those responses below.

Gianna Malatrasi | Business Owner & Designer

Throughout the path of live, I think there are numerous difficult decisions that one has to make. These moments undoubtedly, not define, but certainly shape the person we become. My mother, for four years battle a very aggressive type of cancer. By the end, the cancer had gone to her brain and the battle became to intense for her. After a couple of days in the hospital, she went into a coma. That Saturday I opened her hospital’s bedroom door and I encounter the priest standing at the end of the bed. My heart just dropped. I asked him and everyone else in the room to kindly step out. As I approached her bedside, I clearly remember all the tubes, cables and machines beeping just to keep her alive. Somewhere between the beeping and the sound of the breathing machine, I realized this was not a ‘way to live’. This person lying in front of me was not the vibrant woman that used to be my mother. Read more>>

Gillian Edwards | Animal Communicator, Intuitive Healer, & Canine Massage Therapist/Instructor

Once you conquer the dragon, everything else is achievable. My first decision was in my early 20’s when I decided to emigrate from the U.K. to America, with no concrete plans. Someone I had met had offered me a place to stay and a job in New York city. It sounded exciting, the city that never sleeps was calling me. I packed up my life, quit my job, rented my home, and boarded the plane with no idea what lay ahead. The place to stay was a couch and there was no job. I could have chosen to go home with my tail between my legs, or I could have chosen to stay. I stayed. I brushed up my resume, applied for a lot of jobs, and was hired by the United Nations. Since then I have reinvented myself from scratch several times, and have relocated to Los Angeles, and now Colorado. That first leap of faith was courageous, and despite my naivety back then, I thrived in the Big Apple. Knowing that, it has made other life altering decisions easier to make. Read more>>

Montel Walker | Vegan Chef

I would say the two most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make were when my family and I decided to go plant based back in 2017, and move across the country from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to Fort Collins Colorado! Both decisions were a huge change for our us especially with kids. However I/we want to teach our kids not to be afraid of change and doing what you are truly passionate about. Read more>>