Negative:Positive

I hold my hands up and be the first to admit in the past I've acted like a complete brat when things haven't gone to plan, I was a nightmare as a teenager my poor parents. It's so easy to put yourself in a grumpy black hole when something bad happens in life and it seems so easy to forget all the positives. Of course your going to be upset and I've certainly been in tears many a time when everything seemed to be going wrong. Now I'm an 'adult' (when am I going to actually feel like one) I've learnt to see the positives in my life that have come from a negative situation. 

• My mum passed away: I'm much closer to my dad 

There isn't a day goes by when I don't wish I still had my mum around and I would love to sit and tell her all the things that I've done and how my career is going etc but that isn't the reality. As a child/teen I was a mumma's girl for sure and didn't have a very close relationship with my dad as he worked long unsociable hours. Now it is just me and my dad at home and Bella of course I'm so close to him and he got me through university when it got really hard and I thought about giving it all up. Not only am I closer to my dad I am with my older sister too, we have a really close knit family and I know unless we had lost my mum we wouldn't be as close now. 

• I have poor health: I get to work from home 

I've mentioned how much my health decreased last year and it hasn't got any better infact at some points it has been a lot worse. Getting sick meant I couldn't work the job I thought I was going to be and it was really hard to deal with as I thought I'd failed. However infact in a strange way getting sick might have been the best thing that has happened to me as it means I can work from home and chase my dreams at my own pace. Don't get me wrong I would love for a day to go by where my stomach wasn't agony but I can take things at my own pace. I created my own job and infact now I own two businesses which is not something I ever thought I would be able to say at the age of 23. I was sitting at my desk the other day and had a moment of realisation of just how much I love my job, when I tell people I work from home I get the same response every time 'I wish I could do that'. Working from home is ideal for me as I can handle my health at my own pace and get to spend quality time with my dad too. 

• Going through an awful break up: I have an amazing relationship now 

My dating history is pretty dire and not once have I ever had a good break up and I don't just mean it was hard I mean I had to get a restraining order against one ex boyfriend. Last year I went through one the hardest break ups but in fact I'm so glad I'm not longer in that position anymore. At the time I was completely heartbroken and devastated at the actions of that person but now I think to myself I'm glad you showed me how much of a douche you could be. I'm in an amazing relationship now with a person who I shouldn't have cried over when I was 16 as now the timing is right and it's so good. I also learnt some valuable lessons about myself and the person I wanted to be and a relationship isn't the be all and end all and being single is pretty fun. Some relationships are absolutely toxic and I've learnt when your truly happy in a relationship you never ever worry about things and things just work. 

• Losing friends: Re-kindling friendships 

When I moved back up to Nottingham since graduating university I was so scared of being so lonely as I had lost contact with all but one of my childhood best friends. Turns out I learnt a lesson on people who are your friends and who aren't and seeing friendships disappear but nothing can beat getting to see my best friend so often again. Whilst I was with Jen last week she mentioned that when your in school & uni that you make friends because your in a close proximity and may have similar interests but then when your an adult you base your friendships on how well you get along and morals etc. I truly believe the friendships I have know will be the ones that I will have for the rest of my life. 

I think going through hard times in life are the when you learn the biggest lessons and they shape the person that you are today. Without these things happening in my life I wouldn't be the person I was today and that makes me happy and feel really secure in myself. It is true that when you go through a rough time you do learn to appreciate what you do have and stop taking things for granted.

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