I’ve done something scary. I’ve taken the plunge, faced my biggest fears, and made an investment in MYSELF.

So what’s so utterly scary about that?  Well, aside from the money I invested (which is pretty scary in itself), it’s the realisation that I’m setting expectations for myself.  Expectations that require hard work. But more importantly, expectations that create the possibility of FAILURE.

My story

Just a few short months ago (it actually feels like a LOT longer) I had an epiphany to create this blog.

I vividly remember sitting in my kitchen last July.  The baby was in bed, I was on maternity leave. I was trying to get a jewellery business off the ground.  But it REALLY frustrated me, that there was NOWHERE for jewellers to showcase their jewellery and tell their stories.  There were blogs, but didn’t seem to focus on contemporary, independently made jewellery. And mainstream publications just didn’t seem to feature independently made work or tell the inspiring stories of these amazingly talented people.

I’ve got to admit, I got a bit angry about it.  And then I realised, well, I had NO RIGHT. Because here I was, a journalist myself, and even I wasn’t prepared to do anything about it.

So that’s when I realised that I had to do something. And I decided to start a blog.This was no small decision for me.  Although I was a journalist, I had no experience in setting up a blog…I didn’t have a clue how to do it. And also, I was trying to get a jewellery business off the ground, and juggle life with a newborn and toddler.  Nevertheless, I KNEW IN MY HEART that I had to do this.  

So that very same evening I started The Jewellery Spot blog.

I need to grow

Since then my little blog has GROWN and GROWN… and the truth is, recently I’ve realised I need to grow too! I need to grow my skills and self belief to be able to serve this amazing and inspiring community of jewellers even better.

I’m not going to lie, this really IS scary! Not just because of the money investment. But even more because when you put yourself out there, there’s no protection if you fail. But the truth I’ve realised is that if you don’t try…well that’s just as good as failing anyway. So you may as well go for it. And just remember: if you never give up, well then you never fail either!

So I AM going to go for it and invest in myself and my future. Who else is with me and going to go for their dreams?! I know that by doing this I can be the very best person I can be and create The Jewellery Spot into a truly valuable resource for all jewellers.

Investing in yourself is the BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE.  It will influence every part of your life, for the better. But it can be scary. So the best advice I can give you (if you feel stuck in any part of your life) is to just start! Try and learn a bit more about something that you think might be able to help you.  Books, podcasts, articles, courses, whatever you feel drawn to.

And that book or podcast probably won’t be the answer. But you know what? It will start you on a journey. A journey of self discovery. And bit by bit, things will start to become clearer.  Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey so far, it’s that you JUST NEED TO START. Clarity only comes from you taking action.

So this week… why not start on your very own journey of self discovery? Let me know what you’re going to be doing and I’ll cheer you on!