468: Unapologetically Yourself With Jella Jornales

Jella Jornales is an ethical fashion blogger currently based in Manila, Philippines. She is passionate about sustainability, minimalism, conscious living, and social justice. She also volunteers for Fashion Revolution Philippines which is part of a global movement that fights for greater transparency and ethics in the fashion industry. When she not busy doing those things, you’ll probably find her in a coffee shop with a new friend. She also loves connecting with new people and finding out what they’re passionate about.

Jella shares what she used to struggle with back then and how she able to be unapologetically her true self to be the confident person that she is today. She also shares her tips that can help you in your own journey to self confidence.

Bio

Jella Jornales is an ethical fashion blogger currently based in Manila, Philippines.

Cultural Background

Jello is of Filipina descent.

Favorite Self Confidence Quote

Confidence is courage at ease.

Definition of Self Confidence

Self confidence is a journey of self discovery. It’s really knowing who you are deep inside. It’s embracing not just your strengths but also your weaknesses. It’s knowing your identity. It’s not relying on people’s validations. It’s being okay with failing and being humble when you succeed. Confidence paired with humility, that for me is the real trait of a truly confident person.

Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence

Jella was pretty confident as a young kid up until she was about 10 or 12. That’s when she started getting really insecure. Maybe it’s part of growing up, or the environment she was raised in. It could even be a cultural thing. She wanted everyone to like her so bad that she lost herself in the process. Even when she did okay in school, she felt like she was never good enough. Jella wouldn’t even raise her hands up in class even when she knew the answer.

She was so afraid to make a mistake. She had social anxiety. She was also soft spoken and she remembers a comment from a classmate who said they couldn’t hear her and that she needed a microphone. That comment stuck with her and crushed her confidence even more.

Jella’s parents were always busy with their business and so they weren’t really around a lot. Her mom is a very shy person and her dad isn’t very expressive either. None of them were confrontational so you could say that we don’t really discuss things at home. In fact, growing up, she doesn’t remember a single time when she actually sat down with any of her parents and discussed anything with them.

As a young adult, people pleasing was her middle name. She didn’t know who she was, so she let other people tell her who she should be. If she was in a group where everyone partied, she would party. If she was in a group where everyone gossiped, she would gossip too. She wanted people’s validation and she wanted them to give her the feeling that she was accepted. Because of that she really lost herself in the process.

The “AHA” Moment

It started when Jella was living and working abroad and met people from different walks of life. She met people who were different from her, and who were okay being different around her. She started to feel like she could be who she was, unapologetically, too.

At that time she also reconnected with her faith, which also played a huge role in her self confidence. She developed a deep belief in her own worthiness because of the unconditional love she received from God, and that made her able to truly feel confident deep inside and not just going through the motions on the outside.

Jella has learned that being confident doesn’t always have to be loud. That sometimes, the most confident people have a quiet strength.

Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence

Jella is still a work in progress but she has definitely learned to love herself, to not take things personally and to realize that everyone is unique and has a space in this world.