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.

Pedro Mederos | Chef & Restaurant Owner

The most difficult decision we ever had to make, was the decision to open our own company. It was the height of a global pandemic, we were both without work, and restaurants as a whole were not doing well at all. However, the driving force behind such a decision was the simple fact that if we didn’t take the risk now, we never would. We would get stuck in another kitchen job, working for someone else and once things returned to normal, it’d be too late. We figured that if we were without a job now, then we had all the time in the world to dedicate to such a project. Read more>>

Lauren Leyva | Casting Associate

The most difficult decision I have ever made wasn’t a particular event, It was deciding that overall I was going to live for myself! Growing up I took everyone else’s opinions and advice rather than my own when making huge life decisions. As a child of immigrants, the pressure was on to take advantage of what my parents worked so hard for and seize all the opportunities that fit in with the American dream. Read more>>

Dr. Rokeshia Renné Ashley | Assistant Professor & Author

In 2011, my then partner and I made the decision to terminate our pregnancy at about 10 weeks gestation. At 19 years old and a first-generation college sophomore I was not emotionally, financially, or mentally capable to continue the responsibility of raising a child. I found myself in the position because I was irresponsible and regrettably, but gratefully, did not continue the pregnancy. In Florida, a woman is allowed to terminate her pregnancy up to 24 weeks, in comparison to the state of Texas, Senate Bill 8 limits abortion care to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Read more>>

Georgia Turner | Travel Marketing Professional

The most valuable lesson I learned was to not burn any bridges! The tourism industry is VERY small and you are likely to work with the same people over and over. If you have a bad experience (which luckily I did not have many of them), the word gets around. If you handle situations professionally, you will have a good reputation. Enjoy the clients you work with and don’t alienate anyone. You never know when you’ll get to work with them again! Read more>>