Just Dance, Gonna Be Okay

All rejoice! I have a new favorite word!! Just. No, seriously. That’s the word: just. Ahem, I’ll explain. 

There’s a VERY real reason that the brilliant advertising company behind Nike’s famous slogan led with this power-packed word in their “Just Do It” campaign [that’s still printing money for breakfast BTW]. It’s a teeny, tiny adverb that unlocks REALLY big things by making them seem… just do-able. 

In FACT [activating ultimate linguist mode], the Latin root of just is justus, meaning RIGHT. Yep! Which, of course, in recalling this etymology spurred yet ANOTHER whoa moment for myself. Including two VERY meaningful hidden messages standing in plain sight before me:
1) Whenever I say just, it must be the right next step, and
2) I should just WRITE. See what I did there? 

So, seriously, how could you NOT love this tiny power-packed adverb to the gods?!? It’s so beautifully simple yet could seemingly move MOUNTAINS!! I mean, give it a try: Think of the last good time you put it to good use… guess I should JUST start a portfolio… I’ll JUST go to the event for some networking… I’ll JUST see whether my dream business name has already been taken… then WHAMMO! magic happens!! And from nothing more than just a few small steps!! What massively life-changing potential. Jeez! It's like just just makes things too easy NOT to just do! Am I right or am I right?!? Just say yes. 😉

So, I have to confess a little something. [Here she goes again, I know…] Like some desperate, thirsty, who-do-you-think-you-are, I just went and updated none other than my professional LinkedIn profile with a new current role title: AUTHOR of Cancer Faux Real. 👀 Oopsy poopsie.

Wait, you ask the screen silently, isn’t that term reserved for people who publish, oh I don't know... BOOKS?!? Well, technically, yes, I’m pretty sure it is. 

Here’s the deal. I was faced with a choice. When I decided to “accept my calling” as a talented writer [now THAT was hard to write], I decided, like most things in my life, that I shall go big or go-ith home. As well as to lean confidently in the direction of my dreams [Thanks, Thoreau!]. Which is why when the LinkedIn dropdown menu of discrete role options related to writing were presented to me of writer, blogger, copywriter, or AUTHOR… I chose the goalpost, not the starting line. And just made it happen.

[Insert meme of Italian soccer players freaking out after making the winning shot...then drool a little 😉]

After making that myopic baby step, what do you think happened next? Well, an old industry contact I hadn’t connected with in YEARS randomly dropped me a DM to share she’d been following my blog that I had been so *bold* to hype on LinkedIn, that she was enjoying my writing style, and — GET THIS — was curious if I was available to help produce content for her [household name] brand’s various social channels and active blog. Yup. That. Just. Happened. 

So, we’ll see where things go from here. But for now, I hope you, dear reader, will stop overthinking your aspirations and start doing all those little things you could just so easily do instead of simply dreaming about them. Maybe it’s finally leaving corporate to go freelance [just did it, never turning back]. Maybe it’s starting a family [just did it, only wished I’d done it sooner]. Maybe it’s getting your a$$ in for your first or fifteenth mammogram [you KNOW where I stand on this one, don’t make me just smack you]. 

For me, I’m just gonna keep leaning in the direction of my dreams and trusting myself enough to take each inner “just” step. They’re small, but mighty. 

Whew! I love this record, baby, but I can’t see straight anymore…