Benefit of Why Try

Entry from 2.4.09

I’m at American Drywall, the building Elaine’s office is in. She works for the Chamber of Commerce. We are about to walk down to a Chinese restaurant, if you can really call it Chinese, down the way for lunch. I just facilitated my 3rd “Why Try?” group at Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School. The participants are in form 2 & 3, which is the same as grades 8 & 9 in the U.S. I am working with them on using positive motivation to overcome challenges in their life. Running groups in St. Lucia is significantly different than the groups I have run back home. Like I have said before, counseling is a new concept in St. Lucia. I think that the study of psychology has transferred the value of self-reflection and introspection into main-stream society in the states. In St. Lucia, it seems to be something that only a minority practice. Introspection requires a certain degree of critical thinking, and these skills develop at an even later stage of life in St. Lucia. Critical thinking is not nurtured in the same way here. I find that the young girls, especially, are not accustomed to reflecting on their feelings, thoughts, and actions. When I ask them questions about their thoughts and feelings, they have a difficult time verbalizing them what they might have been feeling or thinking in a situation. It follows then, that they have difficulty understanding how their thoughts, feelings and actions influence one another. Nevertheless, I know, at the least, that these girls will benefit from the “Why Try?” Program because it will develop their ability to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Furthermore, they will develop a habit of processing and understanding the affect they have on situations that occur in their own lives