This is where you’ll find The Daily FIG JAM.
This page just explains why I started it.
Some of you may be familiar with what the acronym FIG JAM stands for… and if you are, then don’t freak, I’ll explain why it is now a title on my site.
Inspiration for this hit me late last night, after a conversation with a beloved friend. Won’t share details of that conversation but…the ballet we saw was extraordinary (Interplay), except for the first segment, which was rather indulgent. A bit like this paragraph. Anyway…
Listening during this conversation, it just hit me, why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to live up to expectations? Expectations that we put upon ourselves.
Why do so many of us put ourselves down?
Even the ones who know better, waste time regretting what they used to be or should have been, instead of thanking their ex-selves for making them the person they are today.
Or else we forget to feel good about ourselves because life gets in the way.
I suppose you could say that’s what loved ones and friends are for, to remind us, but that’s external validation. Like tipping for the sake of it. Okay that’s not the same thing but is obviously an issue with me!
What about internal validation? What about just saying out loud, without any theatrical epiphany or alcohol fuelled motivation, without posting it on Facebook, without watching Oprah’s motivational guest du jour, without feeling bad about feeling good…just saying “yeah, I am good”
So, those of you who don’t know what FIG JAM stands for and those who do know and are perplexed rather than amused…prepare yourself and try not to be offended at the first impression of the word(s) and what they seem to mean.
And yes. It is a derogatory term.
FIG JAM – F**k I‘m Good. Just Ask Me.
...to which I say…what’s wrong with that? Why can’t we think of our points as good? Why can’t we feel that we’re special? Why can’t we proclaim out loud what it is that makes us so good? Why this need to put ourselves down in order to make others feel good about themselves? Why do we inwardly or outwardly cringe when we hear someone extoll their own virtues? Why do we apologise for our good points? Why do we ‘diss’ the sisterhood, the manhood, the humankind by saying that someone is “up themselves” or “in love with herself” of indeed, a FIG JAMmer just because she/he is secure in promoting their best asset? Themselves.
(...but yes, there are some who abuse the right of FIG JAM. You know the type. The ones who say “walk in my shoes” eeek, no thanks, or “I do so much charity work (but am severely afflicted with Schadenfreude)”, etc, etc…I admit, it’s a fine line.
Like the difference between morality and ethical integrity. Evil dictators (are there any other kind?) have morals. But that’s another issue and one I will edit before I post.
Back to the fake FIG JAMmers. No need to explain them. Whatever, Let them be. Instead of thinking negatively about them, feel positively about yourself.)
Although I think I don’t think this way (certainly if you know me in the ‘real world’, you know I do not tolerate this attitude from others and will never put myself down. In public.) I don’t talk myself up either. Well, not much. I’m afraid to. Just in case I come across as, wait for it, a FIG JAMmer. And if I do, well then I apologise for it beforehand or afterwards. You know? “I’m sorry to sound so up myself but…blah, blah, blah”. Sound familiar?
...but dammit, I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m not going to apologise for loving myself, mistakes, sins and all. And i’m going to say it out loud. It’s not my problem if you have a problem with that.
Be proud of who you are and what you do. Unless of course you’re an evil dictator then…um…well, could you please get off my site? Now? Yes obviously you are good at what you do but you may need to reevaluate your definition of good…I’m just saying…
Fine line. Fine line. What does the Good in FIG JAM mean anyway? Intrinsic goodness? Or talent goodness? Or paternal goodness? Or charitable goodness? etc, etc, etc. You’ll work it out…because you’re good. Just ask yourself.
We’ve read it, heard it, seen it, been told it all before but oh God, it’s true. It. Is. So. True. If you don’t love yourself, if you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t believe you are worthy of all that is good, then you are not worth the skin you’re in. And it’s the only skin you have SO LOVE IT.
FIG JAM is the Art of Arrogant Humility. It’s the art of Self awareness. Not self obsession. The art of believing…KNOWING…you are worth everything you ask for and want and want to be and are and can be. WITHOUT compromising what it is that makes you so good in the first place. Am I making sense yet??
Cripes this all will read as so simplistic and naive and “easy for you to say/write”-ish.
This is an emotionally conceived article so I’m typing as I formulate the thought, I’m not editing so excuse the spelling mistakes (if there’s any, which I doubt because I very rarely make spelling mistakes. ba-boom-tish, there’s a FIG JAM right there!) and I perhaps cannot type as fast as I think so not everything I want to say is being put down. I will expand on this article once I have truly thought about what it is I want to convey. Maybe. Perhaps this is good enough. And that’s half a FIG JAM. Or a veiled FIG JAM.
I’m also going to activate the Comments section (once I’ve figured out and inserted the code!) so you can share the reason/s why you’re FIG JAM.
So…The Daily FIGJAM is a tribute to self…laugh-firmations…quotes…things that make you go hmm, yeah…I’m good. Just ask me. FIG JAM. I’m spreading it.
As anonymous once wrote (and oh the irony) and what was once said about legendary Wallabies Captain, John Eales:
I am Nobody. Nobody is Perfect. Therefore I am perfect.
