In reading and listening to Peter Block’s brilliant book — “The Answer to How is Yes” — I was struck by a rather obvious statement.
He spoke about the need for change to start in companies through the creation of a new conversation.
A new conversation.
That means going past stuff that has already been said, opinions that have already been shared, histories that have already been explored, facts that are already known, responsibility that has already been taken, roles that have already been defined, steps that have already been taken.
While the content of these existing conversations may be correct, they are not new.
A new conversation results in new actions that come from new degrees of personal responsibility.
This is why increases in praying and fasting and supplication have done nothing to reduce the crime rate across the region (which has been increasing).
At least, not through the prayers we have been praying!
Maybe a new prayer would be “Lord, show me where I am contributing to the crime.” That would certainly be the start of a new conversation between the Lord and the supplicant.
What kinds of conversations can we Jamaicans create around us to generate new dimensions of personal responsibility? He has mentioned a few in his book that I am eager to share in this forum, in some shape or form. His ideas are quite challenging, and quite applicable to us here in the Caribbean.
For example, he raises the notion that change starts with new conversations for personal responsibility, rather than ending with blame being assigned.
So… I ask myself… where have I contributed to the crime we have?
P.S. A recent study showed that prayer had no effect on heart patients, and in fact resulted in complications for some heart patients who knew they were being prayed for: Click here