Life is full of strange twists and turns and our path through it can either meander gently or be like Swindon - a series of roundabouts and junctions. I am not sure if this is entirely true, having always believed that much is predetermined and that the appearance of choice is nothing more than that. There is no such thing as a coincidence - your life is on a path.

So there are things we do not choose, opportunities that we decline that take us down another route and all uncertain until you are armed with hindsight, by which time it is seemingly too late.

So what happens when you are face with an opportunity that should by all logic, be at the wrong time, one in which you know you should not be ready to take but the possibilities of grasping appear too good. What if the opportunity that you are being presented with is so different from the experiences that you past has given, that you are too scared to go with it lest it be too good to be true? Do you grab it, do you jump in or do you retreat, safe in the knowledge that to choose another path is indeed, the safer option?

You toy with it, you play with it, you dip your toe in - not through fear but in a dance - a very old fashioned, time worthy dance. Sometimes jumping straight onto a totally different path is to heady a decision. Reckless behaviour can have devastating consequences because once you are on that path - you leave the old one. When you sit and consider the consequences of a change of the Path you are taking, enjoy it. That excitement, the anticipation of change, the thrill of a new view, of a different terrain is short lived and the ability to soak up every moment and revel in the excitement does not last long and should you decide that ultimately - another course must be taken, you will remember that lingering, toying, dancing sensation for a long time.

So think of it like this. Opportunities are like Christmas......are you the type of person that gets lots and lots of presents, rips them open, lobs them over your shoulder - not really bothered about any of them but eager to open the next - or are you the type that prefers to open each one individually, having less and preferring the anticipation.

The short thrill does not last because the gifts are meaningless. Knowing you can have what you want does not make for longevity. Cheap, throwaway gifts last a very short time and early in the year you are left feeling shallow, unfulfilled and unhappy. Having everything you want does not make for inner fulfilment. Knowing you can have nothing and still feel, is the essence to life and the key to fulfilment.

I never, ever unwrap my presents in the morning - I like that sensation of anticipation in the pit of my stomach, the waiting. I like the well thought out, carefully selected gift that is beautifully chosen with only you in mind, the one you did not ask for and were not expecting that suddenly becomes yours.

Equally, when it comes to giving gifts - I love the hours spent mulling over the perfect gift, the uncertainty, the choosing, the touching, the visualising and the wrapping. When I give a gift, I want it to be perfect, to be the best gift they have ever received, the one they won't forget and the one that they knew I spent hours mulling over in preparation for that exchange. Everything is important - the timing, the environment, the wrapping, the grace in which it is offered....

But the best gift of all is the one you get when you least expect it.