Our Greatest Blessings

We are all gifted with different attributes and experiences so we can grow and learn.

For most of my life, I felt different, unworthy, not enough. I was born in Trinidad and moved to the US when I was very young. I didn’t look like other kids in my neighborhood and I felt like I never fit in. This is not about race or discrimination but about the judgements I had about myself. I was also born with eleven fingers and had an inexplicable fear of the dark that accompanied me for most of my life. I always wanted to hide my differences because I felt that nobody could truly love me for who I am. Despite educational and outer success, I always felt it was never enough—I felt like I was never enough. It felt like I was nothing. However, I realized that in the nothingness, I could be anything I wanted. When we drop our stories, labels, and judgements about ourselves, we can be anything we want—we can emerge as our true and authentic selves.

My extra thumb was surgically removed; however, it continues to be a loving reminder that what we label and judge as wrong or bad can often be our greatest blessing.