Jaye 'Glam' Morgan, 34, is a fashion stylist and retailer. She lives in Wellington.
Join us through March as a diverse group of New Zealanders share what makes them happy.
Looking back, I've always been pretty happy. My mum is one of the happiest people you'd ever meet and my dad is quite an excited character. Dad is very high on life and crazy, while Mum is very calm. I guess I'm a bit of both.
Lots of things make me happy. Fashion. Makeup. Chanel perfume. Chihuahuas. Getting ready in the morning makes me really happy. Sometimes I can't sleep because I'm thinking about getting an outfit together. Often my husband Jono will wake up and say, 'are you seriously so excited about wearing your new jacket that you are getting up at 5am? Come back to bed!'
I will always remind him, 'if I die, put me in this outfit', but the outfit is always changing. It has to be a dress though. I don't want to go down in trou or synthetic fibre. It will have to be luxurious.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Some people might call me a narcissist, but I just think I'm into myself in a positive way. I'm not harming anyone, I'm not gloating about myself. I'm just in love with myself and my style. When people get to know me they realise I am genuine. I'm just being glam. I love being a positive person and being super-nice. I'm just sprinkling people with unicorn kisses and glitter.
When I run out of that positivity or I feel down, I go to sleep. I think a lot of people go about their lives all down and out because they're tired. If you're being all grumpy and hideous, it's your body telling you that you need to rest.
You do need to have had the lows to have the highs and there have been times when I have been really down. When my husband was in a rock climbing accident in Taupō, I was devastated. He's an amazing guy and we've been together for 20 years, he's the best thing that has ever happened to me. He broke his spine and was flown to hospital in Hamilton. I was in such a state I could hardly move but I knew I had to pull myself together for him. I remember walking into the room, and I had an altercation with the nurses because of my sexuality - they wouldn't believe that he was my partner. When I saw him he couldn't move, but I just smiled and said, 'I'm glad I told you this morning to put your nice underwear on'!
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
My dogs, Jose and Chloe, are the ultimate joy in my life. They were both quite sad rescue dogs when I got them but now they are surrounded by happiness and they are completely different. They have made me really happy, and that happiness has rubbed off on them. I think they can't believe how lucky they are.
I've spoken to other transsexuals and they say they go through difficult times because of other people. I don't, because I have this confidence in myself and this air about me. I'm so smiley and happy that people find it hard to be negative. That's been my tactic for a long time. If I feel someone's going to have a go, I am super friendly and they change quickly. You can move people's moods with how you come across. I figured that out when I was quite young. I have been playing with that for a long time and it's even better when you're an adult."
As told to Lucy Corry.
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