Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game – Babe Ruth

Have you ever had an idea and been so excited for it but then realised you don’t have the time or knowledge to go through with it, and you are scared of what people will say, so you just sort of shove it in the back of your mind and move on?

Same.

introducing: just jay

A while ago a friend of mine asked me if I had ever considered starting my own lifestyle blog, and honestly, I had. It has always been something that I have been curious to get into, but being in university with hardly any free time and not having a clue where to begin held me back. I was also really afraid of it not being the biggest success and that people would judge me for starting one. Now, I have my degree and have just finished my post grad course which helped provide me with the skills to start a blog. I also finally gathered the courage to do what makes my heart happy and not use other people’s validation as a success marker. There were no more excuses for me to use.

I took some time to carefully plan out what exactly I wanted Just Jay to be. In short, I wanted Just Jay to represent the different parts of me. I wanted there to be the humorous side to me, the beauty addict side of me, the deep-thinking side of me and all the other sides that make up who I am. I also wanted a blog that was a place of positivity and happiness because I personally feel that the world is lacking in that department. And so, Just Jay was born.

What is with all the sunflowers?

After my planning I settled on an idea that I wanted Just Jay to embody. This has to do with the sunflower symbol and the slogan, “Nourish. Grow. Blossom”. So if you know me, you’ll know sunflowers are my favourite flowers. What makes them my favourite is not only their colour and appearance, but the metaphorical meanings behind them. These meanings are what inspired the slogan and the essence of the blog.

A sunflower produces an abundance of seeds – which means that they are nourishing flowers. Nourishing yourself with the right content is something that is so close to my heart. There is so much information out there that sometimes isn’t the most nourishing to our souls. Therefore, I want Just Jay to be a place of rich and healthy nourishment.

Sunflowers are known to have long lives and are constantly growing. Growth, in all its forms, is such an important aspect to life. Yes, the growth period is often uncomfortable and difficult but definitely necessary. Growth helps us improve and find lasting happiness. I hope Just Jay can be a source which helps you grow.

A sunflower’s bloom always faces the sun – which is why everyone says that sunflowers “follow the sun”. I interpret this as seeking out positivity and strength as we each strive to blossom into the best versions of ourselves. The idea is to use Just Jay to help myself, and you, blossom.

and here we are

That is the story of how Just Jay came to be. I felt it was important to explain the meaning behind Just Jay before I wrote about anything else. If you find yourself aligning with these sentiments, stick around. Since this is a lifestyle blog, there will be a wide range of topics covered.

To end off, I just want to encourage you to never let your fear and self-doubt stop you from doing something that makes your heart happy. We owe it to ourselves to believe in ourselves and give our ideas a chance.

I am so excited to start this journey with you.

All the love, Jay

PS. If you have any requests for topics to be covered in future posts, please drop them in the comments or feel free to get in touch with me.