If QUALITY STREET were a metaphor for life, then it would be a lot more predictable than the infamous Forrest Gump quote suggests. After all, we all know the wrappers like the back of our hand, and there is nothing random about a swipe for the purple one! Yes, choosing Quality Street is an INFORMED decision as any....much like so many of the choices we have to make in everyday life. Luck does come into it in some respects, of course, but free will and prior knowledge are in play probably more than we often give them credit for. Granted, it might not always feel that way. When it comes to diet, lifestyle, relationships and work, it’s easy for our choices to sometimes not feel our own. Ultimately, though, the options are always there... just sometimes buried beneath the hard-to-swallow stuff that’s enough to put you off even looking (toffee penny anyone?!) What’s important to remember, as well, is that tastes change through the years, and sometimes giving the hard, boring things a second chance can yield a pleasant surprise. Either that, or a lesson in what not to do again! Keeping an open - yet informed - mind seems to be key to making the best decisions possible... in every different context of life. That, and never passing up the purple (blink-and-you’ll-miss-them) opportunities whenever and wherever they present. Such is the beauty of free will... and chocolate!