J is for juju: Have you got it?

A good friend and inspiring colleague of mine used to talk about juju. A lot. 

He described it as an ethereal quality that we should all be striving to embody; as the indefinable energy that some people are born with and display in abundance; as the secret ingredient to becoming the best possible you.

Have you got juju?

What’s your juju?

Get your juju back!

Give it some juju!

Or come to us to top up your juju...

It’s an appealing quality and motivational phrase that I implore and encourage you to use from here on. Try it out and see what response you get. Need to motivate people on a daily basis? Talk in terms of juju. Want a pick-me-up for an exhausted team? Help them find their juju. Got a goal you want to achieve but are feeling overwhelmed? Call on your juju to be the Best You that you can be. 

So intrigued was I by this delightful word that I looked up the definition online. It turns out it’s a word that’s been used in a number of contexts before:

1. An object used as a fetish, a charm, or an amulet in West Africa.
2. The supernatural power ascribed to such an object.
3. A style of Nigerian popular music featuring electric guitars and traditional drums.

Even more powerful and compelling than I previously thought, it turns out juju is not just an admirable quality; it’s a power, a force and a rhythmic form of music. 

Whatever the definition, if it excites and inspires you as much as it did me, why not bring it into your everyday life to motivate yourself or those around you to live their dreams and achieve great things.

And to the person who brought juju into my life, thank you for the gift and keep living yours.