celebrate success, be proud, stand tall

this week i’ve been supporting the prince’s trust celebrate success awards in partnership with samsung, helping to raise awareness of the incredible achievements of the inspiring young people honoured. following the #standtall hashtag on twitter on thursday evening, i was so moved by each of the young achievers honoured in the campaign, as well as the incredible stories being shared by other supporters like me...

the stand tall campaign made me really look at the things i've achieved in my life with fresh eyes. sometimes, when it's us doing things we see as not out of the ordinary, we forget what sort of impact they have on others. for the longest time, i thought that my mum resented me for leaving australia; that she thought i was running away, or that i didn't want to live with or near her anymore. we'd never been the type to live in each other's pockets anyway, but... moving to the uk was literally the furthest i could get from her. and while i moved here for my own reasons - in essence, to see the world and find my place in it, i did often worry that she saw it differently.

within the first year of me being here, being happy, and sharing my incredible new life, friends and work stories with her (and the rest of you!) on this here blog, i knew that wasn't the case. why? because she booked a trip here to see me. and not just any old trip, a three month visit so she could properly immerse herself in the life i'd created for myself here. she is english-born, but left for new zealand when she was four years old. had never been back either, as most of her extended family had gone with, so there were only a few stragglers left behind. i suppose it wasn't on her to-do list, really, getting back to the homeland. but, with a reason to come (me), she booked three months off work, and made the most of her time here, visiting family, making new friends, and falling in love with the country i now call home.

that was almost three years ago, and in that time she's been back again. she's spent a total of five months in the uk, and another month playing tourist through italy and switzerland with a friend who has family there. all from a woman who - before me moving here, had no intention to be back to the uk. no desire to see the land her parents left behind. no desire to see this wonderful piece of the world... so, seeing my mum fall so in love with travelling in the way i always have been, was the moment i realised that she wasn't disappointed in me... she was proud of me. and, i have to say, nothing makes me prouder than knowing i'm the catalyst for her own wanderlust.

i asked you to share your own stories of pride with me on twitter, and i have to admit it was pretty incredible stuff. and, if that wasn’t enough, as part of the campaign, samsung also took the ultimate showbiz mega photo featuring the award finalists and a host of celebrity supporters, which was then shown on the screens at piccadilly - a photo moment for all the finalists to treasure...forever!

moral of the story here is, your small actions affect people differently. be proud of your worth, your purpose and the difference you make to those around you. 

celebrate success, be proud, stand tall. 

this post was written in collaboration with samsung and the prince's trust. to find out more on how samsung supports young people through technology and to read more about the #standtall stories, please visit their website . youth charity the prince’s trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. further information about the prince’s trust is available on their website.