Culturally, I am Jamaican.
I live in Canada now, so Jamaican-Canadian is probably more accurate.
Growing up, when someone in my family was stressed or struggling with a decision, we were usually motivational rather than practical.
We would say things like:
“You’ll be fine.”
“Everything will work out.”
“You’ll make the right decision.”
And honestly, sometimes that kind of support matters.
But I’ve also realized something:
Being motivational is supportive.
It is not always useful.
Sometimes people do not just need encouragement.
Sometimes they need a process.
Think about the thing you wrote down on Tuesday.
Now ask:
What is actually constraining this?
Pick one:
time
energy
money
skill
someone else’s decision
Next, rewrite the problem like this:
“I can’t do this because of _______.”
That sentence matters more than people think.
A lot of problems feel emotionally huge because they remain undefined.
But once you identify the actual constraint, the situation often becomes smaller, clearer, and more workable.
Specific problems are easier to move through than vague pressure.
— Greg