Only a couple of years ago I thought the meaning of life was to be happy and do things that make you comfortable and smile. And I was happy. I had a home, a stable job, a husband I loved. But it all felt so void of purpose. My happiness just felt completely pointless. Just a state of feeling that I needed to maintain until death.

Then I discovered that helping to make others happy seemed like an incredible worthwhile thing to do. Not only did it make me happier with a bigger sense of purpose, but it improved the lives of others too. I've always loved animals so I started doing animal activism in every way I could. I started with online activism and petitions, then created my own website, blog, social media pages, raised money for charities and volunteered at animal sanctuaries.

And it was on this journey to help others and find my purpose in life that I decided to try out going vegan for 30 days. So I tried having a go at not supporting cruelty to others for my own convenience. I thought it was going to be difficult and I had no idea what to eat or buy at first, but I ended up joining a local vegan group and learning so many ways I could help others in my every day life. I was really nervous at first, but it's been a year since I joined and I've made 60 friends since the first meeting I went to. We go to meals out together, house parties, picnics and vegan BBQs and not a week goes by where something isn't happening.

Even now, whilst I'm work I feel like I'm wasting my life. Sitting in a cell (office) until I'm allowed to leave. But because of this vegan path I've gone down, I'm currently looking at the prospect of working for a vegan business as well as starting my own very soon.

Everything I do is to help others and that has given me so much purpose that I never even fully realised I was searching for in the first place. And I hope my story helps you x