Exciting times: Do more of what makes you happy!

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been away for a week or so, but I've literally been focusing on the above motto. I've been trying to strive towards making myself happier in life and taking advantage of all the good opportunities on offer. Sounds a bit deep right?...Well let me explain a little.

From the outside, over the past year or so, the people I've come across and met would probably describe me as quite a bubbly, confident and clearly happy person...And whilst I'd love to say this has always been the case, it hasn't!

I hid my sadness pretty well and quite possibly convinced my friends and even myself to some extent that I was enjoying working life. Of course work wasn't my entire life, but it was sadly a good 90% of it. A lot of work and not much play. Teaching is commonly known for it's work-life balance issues so I just accepted it.

I had a pretty rough start to teaching and my NQT year was traumatic to say the least. But it is true what they say, whoever they may be, the bad times sometimes do make you stronger. I could have quite easily chosen to give in. To quit the profession that I'd trained for for so long. My mum even thought I was going to have a break-down at one point. And I was close. But somewhere along the lines something switched inside me and I hardened up and starting seeing things more positively...things were going to get better!

And they did, sort of! I passed my NQT year anyway and that was a nice achievement. However, deep down I knew I still wasn't happy.

Little did I know a smile was just around the corner. In summer this year (2014) I was approached by a friend/acquaintance about a possible business opportunity. It was in the health and nutrition marketplace, which appealed to me immediately and the second income was also of great interest! Above is a picture of one of my business cards! Needless to say I joined the company called Forever Living Products and I haven't looked back since! If you're intrigued to find out a little bit more, I did a post a while back that you can have a read of: My new business venture or check out my website www.ellie.flp.com.

This business has been my reason for getting up in a morning with a big smile over the last couple of months and it continues to make me happy. I love being my own boss and taking charge of my business, whilst also being a part of a bigger team of people that have now become my friends.

And quite ironically the business is allowing me to become more confident with literally smiling, as the extra income is paying for me to have Invisalign braces! Something I have been wanting, FOREVER (another unintentional pun!)

But the happy just continues to get happier...

My Dad always says...if you aren't happy then moaning about it won't help. You have to go out there and change it. If you always do the same things then nothing will change or get better.

Cutting the fine details out, I went and dramatically changed my future this week and got myself a new teaching job. I received the letter for a interview on Monday at 10am, was doing the interview by 9am Tuesday and by 12:30pm that same day I was given the job! WAM, BAM, OVER THE MOON!

Start date: January 2015. Part-time Nursery teacher. 5 minutes drive from my house. Perfect.

Another motto that I swear by...It's true, you don't know how life will turn out. There will be ups and downs but there's only one person that can make things happen and change it...and that's YOU!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week. I know I am!

:)
Smile more, it's good for you.

Tweet: @ellie1989