I'm fascinated by the different lives we can lead through the choices we make.
Every day, we're faced with decisions and possibilities. Every day, the choices we make can create new outcomes and drastically change our lives - or keep us steady where we are. Some choices have less effect, while others are more dramatic.
When Helen Quilley is fired from her job in the film, Sliding Doors, we're shown the two paths her life could take depending on whether or not she catches that train. Two paths with two contrasting outcomes.
Just how many sliding doors do each of us make or miss every day in our lives? What would life have been like if you had taken an alternate path earlier on?
Sliding Doors by Shutterstock
Some of us go through life without realising what we may be missing or turning down. We might not know that a door is closing as we walk past or that another may open if we look hard enough for it.
It's often a choice between sticking with the status quo or trying something new. Looking around and opening your eyes to the opportunity and possibility evident in every move you make.
In my own life, I've become more conscious of these sliding door moments and how, with a word or two, a nod in the right direction or a persuasive comment, I can affect the direction of our future lives - where we live, what we do, how our son grows up, who he grows up with.
It's that simple and that impactful.
Did I know that a chance encounter with a fellow gym junkie would one day lead to a move to Australia?
Could I have known that the decision to write in my spare time would eventually lead to a full-time career?
And when we sold our house, did it always mean we'd head back to the UK?
These moments are unpredictable but it's about spotting them when they arrive and deciding how to act upon them. Recognising their power and significance, and often relying on instinct to make a call when the time comes.
In life, there are so many of these sliding door moments - decisions we make on a whim or as a result of an outside influence. You can't always control the moment but you can control the road to follow.
This trip has made me more aware of these moments and I find myself daydreaming about alternate lives.
What if we choose to head to Europe for a little while on the way home and see what turns up? What if we travel back via Canada and reconnect with our former home? And what if we return directly to Australia and continue life there - the same but with a few variations on before?
I see parallel lives with completely different outcomes.
So I ask you to think about the last time you were faced with a decision or remember back to when you stood outside your own sliding door and then ask yourself the question: "Have you ever wondered about the version of you if you'd chosen a different path?"
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