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.

Gar LaSalle | Physician, Writer, Sculptor, Filmmaker

in 1975, after completing my first licensed year as a physician in training, I came to a crossroad…I had been offered a highly competitive four year residency in Otolaryngology-Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford but also had been accepted to the MFA programs in Film at USC and at California Institute of the Arts. Read more>>

Cecilia MeMor | Filmmaker

Coming to live to the US as an adult. I had a estable way of living in my native country. When I came here, I started from zero and little by little I’ve been moving forward. I went back to college to learn the English language, and ended up graduating with a Film and TV production degree from the University of Los Angeles. Read more>>

Vyky Saiz | Director

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was to believe in myself. When I was toying with the idea of leaving my career in education to pursue filmmaking there were a lot of practical reasons that held me back. Read more>>

Ziyan Yang | Composer & Playwright

Moving to the United States was the most challenging decision I ever made. During the pandemic, the world experienced chaos, prompting me to seek a fresh start and a new life. After relocating, I observed how the post-COVID world has evolved, even though I’m not familiar with how things used to be. It’s clear that many aspects have changed significantly. Read more>>

Megan Morgan | Writer, Artist & Yoga Teacher

The answer to this question has a few branches. The truth is, I have had three experiences with death, and I had to make the conscious decision to live all over again each time. I had to choose my life, my path and my priorities. Read more>>

Andrea Leigh Borth | Speaker, Author, and Coach

The decision to transition from a successful happily married man with a beautiful happy wife, 2 wonderful daughters, an amazing career with a global industry leader, and small homestead ranch with no mortgage to live the rest of my life as a woman. Read more>>

Denisse Beltrán | Illustrator and Graphic Designer

In my creative practice, one of the most difficult decisions has been coming to the US to study for an MFA. It was clear to me that I wanted to study an MFA in illustration since a long time ago. Read more>>