‘Where you are today is determined by your past decisions and where you are in the future is determined by the decisions you make today‘.

This statement had a profound impact on me because up and until 18mths ago I basically went with the flow. Simply doing the routine things that life threw at me.

It was only after reading an article in the Reader’s Digest about life coaches – that Fiona Harold, a life coach posed the question – if you could do absolutely anything and there were no financial barriers what would you choose to do? I pondered over this question for some time until I finally reached the conclusion that starting my own business would not be a bad thing and I had been opposed to the notion for 10 years. Starting my own business was taking me out of my comfort zone and I was not prepared to take the risk!

I remember having a conversation with my brother saying I couldn’t start my own business because I wasn’t a leader I was a sheep! He replied, ‘You’re not a sheep, you’re the Shepherd!’ He continued to say that at no point in my life had I ever followed what others were doing and I had basically done my own thing. This was my light bulb moment. My brother was 100% right. I had always done my own thing. He continued to catalogue a whole list of achievements I had accomplished which I had completely forgotten. Thank goodness for brothers!

The article continued to say there are 2 kinds of people, those that end up where life takes them and those who get into the driving seat and make the decisions to where they want to end up in life. This was my opportunity now to be in that driving seat and take charge. I was now going to take control of my life and celebrate it with energy, inspiration, passion and love. So that’s how my passion for chocolate came to be born – Coconoir.

In everything you do you have a choice and as Justin Herald says, ‘If nothing changes, nothing changes.’ Take the plunge and make that choice. You can settle for an ordinary life or an extraordinary life – you choose!