Wendel Abel
IN MY recent travels around the Caribbean, I noted that many countries in the region are experiencing economic growth and development. This forced me to think and write about what is happening to Jamaica.
WHY IS JAMAICA IN THIS STATE?
Jamaica is in a state of 'learned helplessness' which is reflected in our thinking, attitude and behaviour. Many of us have become cynical and hopeless.
Here are examples of how we think as a people:
1) Catastrophic thinking: We think the worst will always occur, for example "Jamaica mash up".
2) Minimisation: We minimise the good things, such as the growth in tourism, and, instead, focus on the bad such as crime and poverty.
3) Magnification: We magnify the bad things that are happening. We are quick to label Jamaica as the crime capital of the world. This is not true! Our murder statistics are based on data from 25 countries in the world that report their crime data. The fact is, many countries do not report on crime. On my trip to Trinidad, I realised that country is also having problems with crime but they do not allow it to stifle their growth.
SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS
1 We cannot lead a people beyond what you are. Our leaders must change their beliefs, attitudes and actions. The Government must instil hope, unlock the hidden potentials of our people and the Opposition should stop the destructive attitudes and behaviour.
2 The Prime Minister has a great opportunity to lead us on a path of hope and recovery. She must begin a process of dialogue with people at all levels to inspire hope. She should start a campaign of hope to counter the negative thinking, attitudes and behaviour.
3 Government must develop a master plan that involves innercity development and the retraining of our people to think and act differently. Let us invest in our people whom are our greatest asset.
4 Awake the hidden giants among us - tourism, culture and sports hold tremendous potentials to develop our country in the shortest possible time. Despite all the challenges, tourism has never failed us and it continues to grow. Our competitive advantage lies in our natural beauty and culture.
5 Things will not change unless we change. Let us engage in this dialogue to commit ourselves to changing our thinking, attitudes and behaviour. Every cloud has a silver lining. Focus on the silver lining, not on the clouds. Focus on the hope, the opportunities, the possibilities, not on the clouds of despair and failures.
6 A collective will is needed now. All of us must engage in this change - the private sector, the Church, the media, our educational institutions, our policymakers and our community organisations.
7 The media must balance the perspective. If we focus on the negatives, after a while we stop seeing the positives. We celebrate everything that is sad and bad. In a recent media survey, the public reported that they were tired of the bad news. The media must now make effort to report more positives, to encourage hope and growth. We are and we become what we reflect and report.
8 Our educational institutions must lead the way. Our colleges and universities must lead the way in charting the course and opening our minds to the many opportunities. To whom much is given, much is also expected!
9 Great nations and people arise from defeat and hopelessness every day.
10 As we change our negative thinking, attitudes and behaviour, we will now experience growth, prosperity, health and wealth. I affirm this for Jamaica, land we love.
Dr. Wendel Abel is a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer, University of the West Indies; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
