Just is a word that can have very different meanings, depending on the context it’s used in.
From the Oxford Dictionary: –
Adjective: based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.
(of treatment) deserved or appropriate in the circumstances.
(of an opinion or appraisal) well founded; justifiable.
Adverb: exactly.
very recently; in the immediate past.
barely; by a little.
simply; only; no more than.
really; absolutely (used for emphasis).
used as a polite formula for giving permission or making a request.
possibly (used to indicate a slight chance of something happening or being true
expressing agreement.
When referencing a person it can come across as negative because it takes on the ‘simply; only; no more than’ connotations. Hence why my use of it might seem self deprecating.
But it can also be a modest way of thinking of yourself, and as I pointed out, a relief to be simply me, without all the other roles and hats that I wear.
Just be You.
Sometimes we might ask ourselves, what does that even mean? The existential crisis questions of who am I? What am I doing here? What is my purpose?
To ‘just be you’ means to let go of all the other things we spend our time and energy on that is “out there” and trying to be something else, and to refocus on the only element we have some sway over, ourselves.
How do we find out who we are and what it is to just be ourselves? By being in the moment, right here, right now. Stop. Breathe. Look around you. Listen to the world. Feel and experience what we are doing, saying, thinking, feeling. By trying things. By experiencing things. Be deciding whether or not those things hinder or help us. By practicing self care – looking after, and nourishing ourselves. By checking in with our thoughts and feelings, to keep track of what we have experienced, to reflect and to learn from them and give ourselves feedback or celebrate.
While all that sounds like a lot to take on board, and you might feel like you need to do so much work of self discovery and dive deep into your past to understand where you are… I love the main message from my calendar for January 2021: keep life simple.
Just = simply.
So, what are just a few of the ways you’ll keep things simple today?
Just Heather x