I Am the Boss

I was always taught to go to school, get a good education, go to university, become a professional. This was pretty much drummed into our heads from childhood. No one ever taught me that there was another way. I did well in school, went to college, then decided this was all a little too uniform and decided, to the horror of my family, to drop out of study and be a rebel...I was under this illusion that my parents wanted me to go to university so they could show off to their friends. I had many jobs, from cleaning to factory work. I never lasted long in any job, as it was never fulfilling who I was. There was always something missing. I did not want to live from month to month. I could never understand why I was building someone else's dream and not my own, but never understood how to switch that around as I was never taught this at school.

I decided to go back into education. Maybe this would give me a job that would keep me happy until I was 65. I gained a professional qualification in Youth work and later a Masters in Education. Whilst they were challenging, and working in the field gave me a lot of enjoyment, I was still not free to be me, as someone dictated where I was at any given time, they decided when I could eat or have a toilet break, what I was allowed to say or not. It was very restrictive. I began to spiritualise things and realised we are all on Earth for a purpose and we have to find our own purpose. We were born to be the star of our own dreams. If we did not have a dream, we would always be an extra in someone else's. I began to look inside myself. What were my dreams and what were my goals and my aims? I had no real idea and this was part of my problem. I realised if I had no clear aims then I would spend my life running around, chasing my tail.

I sat down one day with a pair of scissors and lots of magazines, some glue, and away I went. I started to make myself a vision board that clearly laid out what I wanted in life. I also wrote down my goals. It was at that point things began to fall into place. I would look at my vision board and visualise me in the place I wanted to be. I could feel it. I could smell it. I believed it. I would spend days meditating on my goals and vision.

Sure enough, my life began to change. I was made redundant, and where my colleagues were in tears, I was singing and smiling. They asked, "How can you be so happy?"

I said, "This is an opportunity for me to do all the things I have always wanted." I was filled with excitement and hope for my future.

I stumbled on network marketing, which enabled me to work when I wanted from home or elsewhere. I could not stop pinching myself, even until today. I never knew something like this existed. My only regret was not finding it sooner. Then I remember—timing is everything. I still get to help people by keeping them healthy and fit, and I also get that home life balance where I am my own boss.

Never close your mind to opportunities. Always be open to hearing new things and be willing to dive into the water, even if you can't swim. Never let fear hold you back, because on the other side of fear, there is a whole new world.