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.

surraul | visual artist and curator

The most difficult decision is probably choosing myself everyday. I didn’t grow up aspiring to be an artist, to be as expressive and explorative as I am in the things I make but choosing myself consistently keeps me in that creative exploration. I stumble along that path as much as anyone else, but it’s a fight to choose yourself everyday especially when there are all these preconceived notions we’re already born into and ideas of who we should be. It’s radical to choose yourself and it’s simple, just not easy. Read more>>

Zitian Zhang | Filmmaker

Choosing to pursue a career in filmmaking was probably the most difficult decision for me when I was 18. However, I’ve found that every choice I’ve made after that has presented its own challenges. Despite this, I would still choose to pursue filmmaking if given the chance to choose again. My passion for literature, art, and theater has been a part of my life since I was young. Read more>>

Elvane Zogaj | Actor & Stylist

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was to leave my sister who was sick from cancer in Norway so that I could finish my degree in acting in LA. At the time she was fighting cancer for the second time around and I had stayed home in Norway the first time around and put my degree on hold. Leaving the country and having to fly across the world and be so far away from her while she was fighting for her life was really hard to do. Although she gave me her blessing to leave and I used it as my motivation to graduate, I wish she was able to be there to see me receive my diploma. Read more>>