engagement as : ‘ The process and state of participating in an occupation which is more than performance , as it includes the sense of total immersion in the occupation ’.
The use of proverbs to teach life lessons have been handed down from generation to generation . These act as cognitive tools that ignite our action potential to achieve important day to day goals . These proverbs are often injected into everyday conversations .
I can remember some distinct conversations that continue to impact on how I live my life today . The following are some of the memorable ones that impacted me :
Daag ah swet … but lang hair cover it : Not everyone needs to know when you ’ re going through hard times . You can dress up , have fun and carry on with life even though all is not well in your life . This proverb has been instrumental in helping me to overcome a few years of challenges .
The expectation was that despite the struggles you are going through , you dress up and show up . You don ’ t need to tell others your problems . There were times when I really struggled and felt like I wanted to curl up in a ball and feel sorry for myself , but remembering the words of this proverb prevented me from doing this .
I could distinctly hear my mother ’ s voice repeating these words during those difficult times . This has indirectly helped me to foster resilience although I resented it at the time .
If yuh waan good yuh nose haffi run : To accomplish certain things , you will have to sacrifice . This has been my mantra for years . The expectation has been set and it ’ s understood that you will have to make sacrifices in life in order to accomplish your goals . Nothing is going to be handed to you on a plate and so you will need to work hard to achieve success .
You were also taught that you will need to work twice as hard as others to receive the same benefit , hence the expectations have been set from an early age . One of the elements of leadership is to set expectations early and review them regularly to ensure these are being fulfilled .
Reflecting back on those early days , my mother was utilising this element of leadership although she was unaware she was doing so . I use this regularly in my current roles .
Poun ah fret cyan pay a ownse ah dett : this teaches us that problems are not solved by worrying . The time spent worrying isn ’ t solving the problem . There will be challenges in life that causes you to worry . Being told from an early age that time spent worrying is wasted time and this time should be spent trying to find solutions to your problems .
This has helped me to try and find creative solutions to my challenges . I rarely worry about things that are outside of my control . Whether this is a blessing , or a curse , remains to be seen .
Oral messages have occupational worth
What was my mother hoping to achieve ? Did she have a looking glass to see what the future held ? Was she trying to protect me or was she trying to make me so resilient that I could deal with all the challenges that life would throw at me ?
These questions occupy me as I experience different challenges in different roles .
Marcus Buckingham ( 2020 ) advocates that resilience is more than something we find within ourselves when we get tested . He further stated that resilience is more than an individual attribute .
He advocates it is further developed by strong relationships and networks . People in our support networks provide empathy and helps us to shift perspectives by reminding us we are not alone . This demonstrates the power of shared identities and connections .
When I experience exclusion , racism , microaggressions or gaslighting , these all impact negatively , but I find that I can face these challenges with my cloak of armour . This cloak has been forged by the stories and challenges overcome by my mother .
By the expectations developed at a young age . By the prayers of my fore parents . By the hope instilled at a young age . By the affirmation of my siblings and colleagues . By the strong inner resolved developed as I journey through life .
Research ideas : Caribbean occupational needs perspective
There is now a need for scholarly research work written by occupational therapists of Caribbean heritage , about people of Caribbean heritage , to add to the body of good practice in the UK ( SACMHA 2021 ).
There is an underrepresentation of occupational therapy research about this demographic . The framework of Doing , Being and Becoming ( Wilcock 1998 ) in occupational therapy practice is important for locating who we are as occupational beings .
From a Caribbean perspective , I often reflect on the lessons my mother tried to teach me . I propose that the following verbs are pertinent
Glossary
Ah = A Cyan = Can ’ t Daag = Dog Dett = Debt Fret = Worry Haffi = Have to Lang = Long Nuh = Not Poun = Pound Ownse = Ounce Swet = Sweat
October 2023 OTnews 15