What if?

Our lives are really just one big decision. From the simple and mundane – like what to have for breakfast – to the grand and potentially life changing – should I take the job I’ve been offered? We are surrounded by questions that require answers and decisions to be made that could alter our path in life and leave us questioning: what if?

I was speaking to my mum the other day about house buying and where would be considered too far out when it comes to travelling in and out for work or visiting friends and family. She was telling me about a house that her and my dad were considering before they moved into the one they have now, more than 25 years ago. If they had gone ahead with it, my brother and I would have gone to different schools, made different friends, and no doubt, made different decisions. Who knows where we may have ended up or what we would be doing now.

This train of thought then lead me to be reminded of the film, Sliding Doors. It follows Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow), and plays out two scenarios of what would happen if she misses the train and would what happens if she didn’t. What ensues is two completely different lives – one that brings new love and opportunities, and one that revolves around deceit and indecision – all from one simple and uncontrollable act.

It’s funny to think that we too, may have experienced one or two sliding doors moments in our lives. A fleeting moment in time where one, seemingly indifferent choice or consequence, has a ripple effect as to what will happen next.

While we cannot predict, plan or account for these moments, our decisions – the big and the small – will no doubt influence them. It’s tempting to think, what if this had happened or what if that had happened, but for whatever reason, your decision in that moment swayed your path in a whole new direction.