Why Happiness is the Key to Success

Or should it be the other way round? Nah, I think I got it right first time. It's very rare that I suddenly get a surge of inspiration, or motivation, for that matter lately and I'm sure I am not alone - these are 'unprecedented' times after all...However, I've been thinking a lot about 'happiness' and what it takes to actually be happy. For years I was always under the impression it was being successful that made you happy, but people measure success in different ways. For instance, success could mean owning a flashy car, a huge house in West London and not having to worry about money, or, success could mean raising a family and making an honest living. And while I've been pondering this, I've delved introspectively into my own life to see where I stand on the winning at life front.

Firstly, I didn't start my career in fashion. When I left school at 18, I started work immediately - in telecoms - and did this for 5 years in total. I didn't actually get into fashion until I was 24. But, does this make me feel like I'm not as successful as some of my peers? Hell no! I know loads of people that didn't go to uni, or start a career doing what they dreamed of straight away, this 100% does not make you any less successful.

Secondly, when I did finally get my dream job, the pay wasn't exactly earth shattering, but to say I was 'now working in fashion' made me happy. It made me feel successful as I followed my dreams and didn't back down. So what I wasn't making loads of money, it's fashion darling, and I was part of it.

When my husband and I got married in 2016, we had a tiny wedding. There was just over 30 people in total. And while some people might have thought we couldn't afford more, and may have judged us for not going BIG, we didn't care, we got married the way we wanted and it was honestly the best day of our lives. So to me this is a success, it made us extremely happy, without having to pay a whopping 50'000.

I started my businesses in 2017. I had wanted to take the plunge for years but didn't have the confidence and was adamant I couldn't do it. Skip to two years later and I was styling a Spice Girl. Now, I may not have a whole list of celebrity clients and I might not have the customer base I had hoped for, BUT, every time I look back at the stuff I've achieved so far, I smile, it makes me happy. Now, I'm not saying I'm happy all the time, working for yourself is super hard and there are times you just want to pack it all in, but know this: you've come this far and are already successful.

We don't own our own property. Obviously, if we had the funds to put a deposit down on our dream house, we would do it. However, what with us both being self employed, and very specific with where we want to live, we're pretty sure this is a path we're not going to take at this point. And that's OK. I've never felt like a failure because I don't have a mortgage, not in the slightest. We get to live in a beautiful cottage in a beautiful area - how is that not successful?

Lastly, we don't yet have children. It is something we want to do, and are talking about, but it's our business and not something we really like to discuss with people. But, do I feel less successful because I'm childless? Absolutely not! If for some reason it was out of the question for me, I will ensure wholeheartedly to live my happiest life, as to me, happiness is the key to success. Success isn't the key to happiness. You need to love yourself and be at peace with your lot.