I don’t believe in regrets. At least that’s easy for me to say when life is good and full of smooth sailing. There are other times where I question, feel the heavy chains of guilt, stew about what happened, what went down, why did it and would things have been different if I had said something else, acted in a different way or just didn’t bother in the first place?

Do you ever wonder sometimes how things happen in your life? Do you ever question that if you had taken a different course of action, how different your life would be now, good or bad? If you could go back and redo something, would you change your behavior? What would that future look like? Is it that job offer you didn’t take? Or that chance to travel? Maybe it was that one person you let get away or that 1 drink to many or the chance to speak up against the one person who lacked a belief in you?

I believe, your life is what you make it. Sometimes things happen because you are in the right place at the right time. Other times things happen because Lady Luck has decided to smile on you. I believe the harder you work and the more you try, the more you will be rewarded. I also believe that every individual has the right to make their own choices and follow their own paths even if to the outsider it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t have to make sense to them. It’s not their life to live. Sometimes people can be so short sighted. They label you as lacking in a skill set or that your inexperienced, never considering they have grossly misjudged you and just because you don’t agree with them doesn’t mean that you are wrong.

Let me give you some examples. When I was done pastry school, the one thing I wanted to do was work on a cruise ship. This seemed so exotic to me and the call of adventure was strong. I wanted to travel the world, meet many people, and experience many cultures. However, when the time came to apply, I backed down out of fear. I was 20 years old, never lived outside my country and had no family or friends in far flung nations to help ease the transition. So I did the safe thing and stayed in my country. However, this led to the opportunity of working in Lake Louise. Not only was the setting gorgeous, and a nice boost to my resume and career but I also met my husband there. I can’t imagine my life without him but I do wonder if I had left the country to travel the oceans on a ship, if our paths would ever have crossed. Where would I be if they hadn’t? Would I be in a relationship and most importantly, would I have a cat?

Sometimes the timing of things can be so wrong that’s it would be laughable if it wasn’t so aggravating. In 2008, I was offered the chance to be part of Team Manitoba for the 2012 Culinary Olympics. An amazing opportunity to be sure and I would have given anything to be part of that. But sometimes, opportunities have the potential to lash out at you, give you a little reminder of possibilities that are ..just..out..of..reach. As much as I wanted to commit, I just couldn’t. You see, I was in the final stages of planning the opening for my business. I did not have the time, nor the finances to get me to the Olympics. At that point, I was so sure that my future was written in stone as a business owner. In my mind, running your own business from day to day; putting out fires, producing the goods, and trying to keep it afloat is it’s own version of the Olympics. Nobody, and I mean nobody can tell you what owning and running a business is like unless they have dared to do it themselves.

However, even though Anna’s Indulgence Dessert Bar did not survive past year 5, the one thing I will forever be grateful for is the doors of possibilities it did open for me. Every one’s definition of success is different. I get asked if I think my business was a success and the answer is yes. Everyone is so quick to think that success is all about a profit being made, a ribbon being won or gaining first place. Anything less is considered a failure. How so close minded! Ironically, it was my business where I learned I didn’t enjoy being a business owner. Sure there was great moments to be had, but in the end, it just plain wore me down. I also discovered that I really enjoyed teaching and sharing my knowledge with those who wanted to learn. As a result, I taught both Secondary and Post Secondary while running my business. It wasn’t easy, but the second I walked into that teaching kitchen, I felt like I was in the right place, at the right time. A very defining moment. Like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. It felt natural and the more I learned about teaching, the more I realized this is what I wanted to do. I think the part I enjoy the most is seeing that moment on the student’s face where they realize they can do it, and it all starts to make sense.

Opportunities. Would you recognize them when they appear? Would you seize that chance or just sit back and wonder “what if?” I’m not perfect, and there have been many opportunities I have passed up. I find it very frustrating to watch someone do the same when it’s so obvious that a great chance is about to pass them by. Some people are so wrapped up in their lives that they get complacent and they lose perspective. Most times, the possibilities of these opportunists can be down right scary. It’s frightening to review your life and see how it could change. Shake you out of your comfortable little world. The thing to remember is what ever choice is made, a chain of events takes place. You can’t go back and change things. You can’t take back those harsh words. So what are you going to do about it? What about the idea that change begins with you? And because of change, opportunities are waiting to present itself. Are you ready to open that door?