From time to time in our journey in this world, we are encouraged to stop and take stock of our lives—where we are going, what we are doing, and what we are carrying that we do not need to carry. Within the context of the Caribbean, we are not generally a people who engage in therapy. We continue to attach all manner of ideas to therapy that are not necessarily true. There is a stigma associated with therapy, and this causes many people not to consider its importance. However, therapy is simply about assisting us in hearing ourselves.

So often in our lives, we are the only ones who hear our thoughts. Because we alone hear them, these thoughts remain unspoken, fleeting, and easy to dismiss. But if we are honest, we would recognize that certain thoughts keep coming back—distant, subtle, yet persistent. We try our best to ignore them, but they are still there. What we fail to realize is that, on a very subconscious level, these thoughts are wreaking havoc in our lives. They define us, tell us negative things about ourselves, limit us, and constantly remind us of where we have been. They act as a kind of clothing we cannot shed, whispering:

“You’re not worthy. You’re not enough. This isn’t for you. You can’t do this.”

We don’t even realize when we begin subscribing to the limiting beliefs that flow from these thoughts. Therefore, it is crucial that we create opportunities to address them so that we can be our true selves. These thoughts are not who we are. They represent, at best, a minuscule part of an experience—perhaps something that happened years ago. Yet, because they have not been reclaimed, they cannot be tamed. Because they cannot be tamed, we cannot assimilate them and move forward.

And therein lies the challenge.

We need spaces to articulate these thoughts, to bring them into the light of day so that they can no longer wield silent power over us. Even a simple act like keeping a diary or journal can help us to recognize these inhibiting thoughts. Writing them down allows us to see them for what they are—ghosts of past experiences that still direct our lives from the shadows.

Life is precious. This moment, this existence, this self you are now—this is the only opportunity you will have to be this person in this context, with these experiences. You have deliberately chosen, at a higher level, to be here now, to learn from this context. But we cannot learn if we allow ourselves to be bound by thoughts that restrict us to old patterns and prevent our growth.

We are entering a period often associated with letting go, with fasting, with simplifying life and dealing only with what is essential. Some go into the wilderness, some take retreats, some seek solitude—to experience the fullness of who they are without distractions. Distractions, after all, are a constant force in our world, keeping us from mindfulness.

I don’t know if you are like me, but sometimes I catch myself—someone sends me a reel, I watch it, and before I know it, an hour has passed. I’ve been distracted, lost in a stream of endless scrolling. This seems to be the way of the world now—to keep us preoccupied with external distractions so that we never take the time to truly perceive what is happening in our lives. The less we are aware, the more we fail to recognize our own power, our inner joy, our presence.

This season invites us to remove external distractions so that we can face the internal ones. The goal is not to succumb to these internal thoughts, but to expose them, to recognize the various traumas we carry and no longer need. As we step into this period of fasting, of letting go, I encourage you to set aside distractions. They will still be there when you return, and you can pick up whatever you choose—but this time, you will choose with awareness.

Take this time to do the inner work. Address the inner distractions, which are even more debilitating than the external ones. You are far more than you have allowed yourself to be. You are more than enough. Be your true self. Be you.