Meet Jolly Gonos

We recently connected with Jolly Gonos and have shared our conversation below.

Jolly , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I had been living a whole life that wasn’t what I wanted. I was raised to be a protector and then I joined the military. My upbringing emulated through my time in the military and that’s where the impostor syndrome set in. When I decided that I was going to do music and return the world as Jolly it was in part to battle imposter syndrome that I was feeling and to overcome that obstacle entirely by becoming my true self and not who and what everyone else wanted me to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a disabled veteran who has been using music to help heal the trauma left from my service and subsequent return to civilian life. I’m currently working on my third full length album that features a lot of raw and dark emotions that I’ve needed to get out for a while. After this release I’m working towards getting back into the more positive upbeat music I started with. I think it’s important to have a good balance of both and just let the music flow from whatever you’re experiencing or feeling at that time.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Throughout my life the three qualities that have helped me the most would have to be empathy, compassion and patience. My biggest advice I can give to someone throughout their journey would be to always try to see things from different perspectives. Never assume the worst of anyone or any situation. And understand that there is no comparison to what another human has been through. We’re all out here doing our best and the least we can do is share kindness and compassion.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The last several years since my exit from the military have been challenging to say the least. I’ve struggled daily with the loss of camaraderie and purpose. For a long time I thought I knew who I was. It wasn’t until leaving the military that I realized I wasn’t really being true to my authentic self. Now that I’m living my life authentically I feel like I still struggle immensely with my purpose. Writing helps me sort through everything I’m feeling and has been healing in so many ways throughout my struggles.

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