Jamaicans Urged to Cultivate Spirit of Optimism

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Mr. Ian Boyne, is encouraging Jamaicans to cultivate a spirit of optimism and a ‘can-do attitude’, even as they navigate their way through the current economic challenges.

Mr. Boyne, who is also Chief State Liaison, said it is important for Jamaicans to seek out the opportunities present in times of significant challenges, rather than bemoan what they can’t control or change.

The veteran Journalist, who was delivering the keynote address at the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains’ weekly meeting on August 14,  at the Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa, in Kingston, urged citizens to alter their attitude of pessimism and ‘catastrophising,’ and instead  adopt a positive mindset.

“We have a problem in Jamaica in the sense that we find a problem in every solution. We always find a cloud to every silver lining. There is almost a congenital pessimistic framework that we have,” he said.

“One of the things that always struck me is our difficulty in finding solutions or taking a can-do attitude,” Mr. Boyne added.

He pointed out that in many ways the media have played a significant role in developing this spirit of negativity on which Jamaicans feed. “My profession has played a major negative role, because in my profession, we glorify the bad news, we glorify the gory. If it bleeds it leads,” he said.

Mr. Boyne emphasized that it will be harder for Jamaicans to cope and for the nation to move forward, if they do not change their mindset and thoughts.

“If you change your perspective, if you change your ways of seeing things, you change your world, and you create new circumstances,” he reasoned.

Mr. Boyne pointed out that a spirit of resilience is also critical to survival, as it allows people to bounce back and to adjust to challenging circumstances.

“Those of us who do well in our  present society are people who are not just competent in particular areas, but people who are able to bounce back, people who are able to deal with whatever life throws,” he said.

Mr. Boyne further encouraged Jamaicans to put away worry and fear. “We worry about a lot of things that never come true. We obsess over a lot of things that never materialize. We waste opportunities; we waste the present, worrying about the past and the future. We have to learn to embrace the present – to embrace our strengths, to know that we have the capacity for greatness,” Mr. Boyne said.

He commended members of the Rotary Club for their spirit of volunteerism, noting that volunteerism and charity work have become a dwindling activity in Jamaican society over the years.

“I think there is a significant need for a resuscitation of the volunteer sector. It is important for us to give back to others, to contribute to people lives,” Mr. Boyne argued.