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I’ve always been a keen observer of life and always had a genuine interest in what makes us unique as individuals.  I’ve been following a lifelong path of personal development and  I’ve spent my adult life working with charitable organisations committed to the physical, social, emotional and psychological wellbeing of individuals and communities.  I’ve been fortunate that for most of my life I have followed a path filled with purpose and meaning – areas to which I am naturally drawn in the field of positive psychology.   Working in this sector provided me with many opportunities to flourish and my life to flow and for this, and many other things,  I have much heartfelt gratitude.

I didn’t set out on my life path with a clear idea of what I wanted to do, I was never that mindful back in the day.  In fact, for the early part of my adult life, I think it’s fair to say that I didn’t have a clue as to what my strengths were or what I wanted to do other than escape the confines of a life less lived and to create a life less ordinary.

I realised that going to work to earn money just wasn’t enough to get me out of bed each day, so I made two great decisions.  Firstly I realised that working for non profits and being part of a cause was just what I needed so I got my first job working in the voluntary and community sector (authenticity and integrity are at the heart of my world) and my love of “being the change you want to see in the world” kept me here for over twenty years.  Secondly, I decided to go back to school in my twenties and so enrolled at university (two of my highest strengths are love of learning and curiosity) ) to study social sciences which then led me very naturally into studying psychology.

I left university deciding that people were far greater than the subject gave them credit for.  It was at this time that I also realised that I wanted to focus on understanding what makes people so bloody amazing and how I could support others to step into their greatness. It turns out that around the same time a fella called Martin Seligman had the same idea and came up with this novel notion of looking at what’s good and right about people ……..looks like the modern day founding father of positive psychology and I were on the same page!

Fast forward……. after continuing to work on a huge variety of  wellbeing projects for charities and whilst doing some research of my own into women’s wellbeing, I found out that positive psychology had become rather popular and that two universities in the UK were offering post graduate courses.  The rest is history as they say, and  after completing my Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Positive Psychology, gaining an additional coaching qualification, and studying a whole host of other really interesting and relevant stuff..….I set up simplyhappy with the aim of “providing practical tools for positive transformation”.  

I hope you enjoy exploring this website and please accept this invitation to join with me and become simplyhappy.

Yours in service,

Michelle Preston, PGDip, FRSA

Positive Psychologist, Wellbeing Coach & Consultant
Feminine Leadership Facilitator
Young Person’s Leadership Facilitator

SSE Fellow
RSA Fellow & RSA Councillor