The art of believing in yourself (extract from article written for Tiny Buddah website)

From an early age I was always top of the class at school and it was assumed that I would go and have a high flying business career. I didn't ever stop to think in what field, I just had a vague vision of my future self sitting in an office. I even won the 'most likely to make a million pounds' award at school! But it hasn't worked out that way. Perhaps because I’m so stubborn and don't like to do what's expected of me - I like to surprise people.

When I see people younger than me doing seemingly brilliant jobs my first reaction is ‘wow, look how successful they are, why can’t that be me?’ But then I remind myself that they would probably be jealous of my life in other ways, for things that I don’t even think are note-worthy. For example, travelling alone was not a problem for me, but some people I’ve spoken to are amazed that I could do so and see it as brave. Whether you have travelled, got a degree, climbed a mountain, or bought a house, had children, learnt mandarin etc… we have all done things that seem amazing to others. Whatever you have done, you can be proud of your achievements.

After a few years of adult life and working in jobs that weren’t going anywhere, I’ve discovered that what really makes me happy is helping other people. I'm not being sanctimonious, it's just the truth. Some people want a Mercedes, or a mansion, but I know that those things wouldn't make me happy. I am now planning on training as a primary school teacher so I can make a difference in my own small way, and allow me time to continue volunteering. We all have to figure out what's going to make us happy and find a way to do it. It’s that simple!