Challenging belief systems during a crisis
AS Fiji continues to navigate the uncertainty that comes with the rapidly increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 cases, we as the people of this country are having to wrestle with some deeply entrenched beliefs and views about our sense of community, our sense of belonging, our sense of family, our faith and the things that we assign meaning to and hold dear.
The outbreak of the virus, the introduction of containment zones, the restrictions of movement brought about by curfews and the mandatory wearing of masks is forcing people apart in a way that has never been experienced before and requiring an inner strength and resolve that a majority have not been encouraged or taught to cultivate.
Generally speaking, we are taught and conditioned from childhood to conform to a certain way of being, of living and of doing and for a majority of Fijians, this way is deeply embedded in being part of a community.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the Fijian way promoted to draw visitors to our shores was based on being part of our community, sharing in our joy and our energy when we are together as a people.
“We Are Bulanaires” we proudly proclaimed. In a few months that message of enjoying each others company, laughing together, eating together, drinking together was turned on its head and replaced with no gathering, no visiting, cover your face with a mask, no socialising and pretty much no life until given the permission to do so again.
For those who are accustomed to living and thinking independently, this has probably been a relatively simple shift with a few adjustments, but it is important to also recognise that many in our beloved nation are simply not equipped with the inner strength and the resolve to make such a significant lifestyle change overnight.
While the purpose of this article is not to make excuses for those struggling to adhere to the safety protocols and finding themselves in breach of the restrictions, what we seek to do is to draw attention to the importance of individuals being equipped with the right tools to lead ourselves out of this crisis.
Tools that shift beyond facts and figures and scientific information to hone in on what people assign meaning to, what they place value on and how this drives behaviour.
Jewish Psychologist and author of widely read personal development text, Man’s Search For Meaning, Victor Frankl, wrote these words in 1946 after he survived the Nazi concentration camps where he lost his entire family.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Having survived one of the most unimaginable experiences in life, Frankl’s conclusion is that, when you have no control over what is happening outside of you, what you still can control is what is taking place on the inside of you and you can choose your attitude and response.
And quite often the choices we make stems from what we have assigned meaning to and given value to in our lives. For some Fijians to not attend a funeral of a loved one or to not be able to visit family is unimaginable because of the intrinsic meaning and the value these relationships hold.
A key part of all of this is a willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn and to be open to adapting to the changes and shifts brought about by these uncertain times.
Being willing to challenge one’s beliefs and value system and ask the difficult questions about whether those beliefs and value systems serve you or can sustain you through the changing times.
It requires a shift in awareness to recognise what one has assigned meaning to and to also recognise that one can make a choice to unassign that meaning if it is not aligned to the betterment of one’s future or where one sees oneself within the context of the changing times.
As we navigate this time of uncertainty may we all start to recognise the power we have to choose and to lead ourselves out of this crisis by really reviewing the things that we have assigned meaning to.
May we recognise that the change starts with each one of us and as we start to change we influence those around us to do the same.
And may those of us who come at this with a higher level of awareness be mindful of those who don’t and make room for discussions that question, challenge and shift in a safe, nurturing way, recognising that people are generally doing the best they can base on their levels of awareness.
Perhaps one of the greatest contradictions of the times is that as much as we are required to unlearn ways of being and gathering that no longer serve us, we are learning a different way of doing community and influencing those around us through the use of social media and technology.
Families who are in desperate need of food supplies and resources at this time especially across Viti Levu, are finding ways to reach out to the community through Facebook and also using mobile phone technology to receive assistance through MPaisa and MyCash.
And we are seeing the rise of a new generation of leaders who are influencing many through this new way of doing community.
These are leaders who are not fixated on position or title or rewards but who are focused on serving members of the community and doing so with intentionality and integrity. These leaders are bringing with them a refreshingly positive sense of love and care in the midst of a very dark time in our nation.
To conclude, the words of global leadership thought leaders, John C Maxwell and Rob Hoskins in their recently released book Change Your World. “The negatives in life may attract our attention and open our eyes to the need for change, but only by being positive and by helping to create and offer a better way can we positively change our world.
“Creating positive change in communities is similar to developing people. Good leaders focus on people’s strengths and help them to develop those strengths. They don’t focus on their weaknesses. Similarly to help others live a better life, you don’t focus on their problems.
“You focus on positive solutions that provide a better way for them to live.”
And the positive solutions are within each of us as we continue to lead ourselves out of this crisis. Keep the Faith Fiji. This too shall pass.