Growing up I would often hear Jamaicans say that a person can “walk with queens and not lose the common touch”, referring to someone who may have been high ranking in their status but never exuded arrogance or bluster to another human being. When I would enquire where the quote came from no one was able to tell me. But my love for English literature caused me to search for the source.

The reference is adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s If, which is an inspirational poem that gives the reader advice on the true meaning of how they should live his/her life in the midst of adversity, loss and the treachery of human interactions, while simultaneously taking risks to ultimately serve one’s life’s mission with worth and purpose, if even briefly.

Life today happens fast — faster these days than when I was young, and, before you know it, you wake up decades later staring back at the zest for adventure that once defined who you were. What’s more, the world today does not wait on anyone to make up his/her mind, nor will it give therapy sessions for emotional relief. And in this rat race when you think it’s “peace and safety, it’s sudden destruction without collective security for surety”. It will take bold leadership to lead anything, including our personal and professional decisions.

However, the courage to think and act differently does not come overnight; it takes time and comes with experiencing adversity, baptisms of fire, and loss. Real self-growth begins in moments when we consciously break our fragile protective shell of our own understanding, laying it bare in the midst of facing a fearful internal or external confrontation, and taking the fearless risk to step out of our programmed comfort zone to follow our instincts. Seizing every single day and living it, tasting it, experiencing it with passion, without fear for newer and richer experiences. Awakened to the possibilities that we always have choices and and we must dare to try. Because in the end we owe it to ourselves to say: “I tried and gave it my best shot.” And, even if we lose, and must begin again, we move forward with invigorated knowledge and zeal on the new path of our journey, never unforgiving of the harsh encumbrances of the past.

Therefore, we should never see breaks in our life’s transmission as the end of our world as we know it; rather, as new opportunities for our own maturity. Ever mindful there will always be forces that may come to judge your intentions, but there are always more powerful forces that will come to give you strength and encouragement and we should always seek, search for, and stay close to the latter.

Just like organisations, for people to prevail and be relevant to successive global environments and markets they must be responsive and change with the times, seeking modern approaches to getting things done. This does not mean changing their core principles, mission, or value proposition, but rather, continuously pursuing modern techniques for their personal development.

Therefore, don’t be subliminally contrived into waiting, believing you’re not ready, not smart enough, not strong enough to the point that you become apologetic for taking tough decisions. Step away from society’s definition of who you are and what you are to believe in, especially when those are self-serving. The truth is, good things don’t come to those who wait, but to those who get up and go after them.

Taking the road less travelled in life is never easy. But it’s knowing you’re not walking it alone that makes it worthwhile. Let’s continue to shatter glass ceilings and retell our stories of breaking barriers, disproving misconceptions and reforming prejudices that have stifled our progress for centuries.

Life is a journey and serving the Jamaican people will always be at the foundation in everything I do. It’s simply who I am. Here’s to inspiring our collective imaginations as we aspire towards a better future for ourselves and our country.

I am deeply moved by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support I received from at home and abroad after I announced that I will be leaving representational politics at the end of this term. I truly appreciated all your personal messages and comments. Thank you for your continued support and your fearlessness. I’m inspired by you.

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.