Jayne Whyte's Portfolio

Over the years as an introvert, I have always found myself in small circles. hiding away and doing the most away from the spotlight and the noise. That is not to say I do not love people. I do. However, I do not perform optimally when I am in a crowd and with lots of stuff going on. Following this post where I talked about the science of risk-taking, I would like to share with you how I have built a network of people who pour fuel into my flames.

Back in secondary school and my formation years, I was in a clique (group) of girls. Also, I had a truckload of other friends whom I have grown to love and become besties with over twenty-five years and counting. For each one of them, whether within the cliques or outside, a major factor that has kept our friendship is that we are big on encouraging ourselves. I have been told to my face “Jayne, you are too shy. Get out and face the madness”. I heard that and I never looked back. I have friends who tell me “You play small, go big”. These words are everything to me. They keep me burning…in a good way.

Having people who encourage you to be the best is crucial because they provide essential support, motivation, and constructive feedback that foster personal and professional growth. These individuals help build your confidence, push you to overcome challenges, and inspire you to reach your full potential. Their belief in your abilities can ignite your self-belief, drive you to set higher goals and persist through difficulties. Ultimately, their encouragement cultivates a positive environment where you feel valued and empowered to excel.

Having awareness of my situation- being shy and wanting more out of life I had to take a major life decision to intentionally only allow people who would fuel my small fires to live and thrive in my small circle. It has been a deliberate journey. I realised if I did not have people to push me, criticise me, hug me, call out my BS and allow me to take risks I would not be successful.

I must say that ‘fuelling Jayne’s fire’ is a criterion for being on my friendship list. To be honest, I do the same for the people around me as well…ask around. If you do not know how to start, start by being the fuel to someone else’s fire and hopefully, someone will do the same for you. One person at a time. When you are asked, “What are you bringing to the table?” Now, you know what the answer is.