We can't eliminate prisons.
Teenage moms are too young to take care of babies.
Drug addicts are bad examples.
The statements listed above are pretty much widely-held in a lot places, including Puerto Rico. They fall under the category of "set beliefs," thoughts many of us take for granted because they are "obvious."
And yet...
The problem with set beliefs is that they often stifle or eliminate innovation. And set beliefs achieve that power because they aren't seriously challenged. That's why for almost 50 years, scientists thought humans had 48 chromosomes, when in fact, we have 46. A counting error lasted for almost 50 years because the (wrong) answer was "obvious."
Back to our list. Challenging these set beliefs has led to some pretty innovative thinking:
No prisons: Hundreds of organizations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico are working on preventing the need for prisons through a wide array of early intervention programs focusing on education, nutrition, economic development, counseling, health services and more. Prisons become superfluous if more people have their needs adequately met.
Teenage moms: "To learn, teach." Most teenage moms face not only a lack of experience in child care, but find it very difficult to have their baby taken care of while they finish school and/or work. Several dozen organizations across the U.S. have opened day care centers where teenage moms volunteer time in exchange for health care support. The babies have a home-away-from level of care, the moms learn about proper childcare from experts and each other and the notion that teenage moms are "trapped" gets a swift kick in the teeth.
Drug addicts: No one wants to see their child as a drug addict, and no one who truly grasps what a drug addict goes through would want that experience. That's why several organizations have carefully created projects where teenage students can meet with self-described drug addicts and learn what addiction has done to them. As one student said: "No movie could scare me that much." Counselors have found that the therapy process of the addicts in these programs has a higher level of success, because the treatment is bolstered by a deeper sense of support. One of these program directors said, "There is nothing to equal the emotions shared when a former addict, now clean and ready for the world, meets the students again."
If you want your project or entity in Puerto Rico to break out, take time to look hard at the set beliefs you think define the situation. Then challenge each one to find your chance for a major breakthrough.
Written by: Gil C Schmidt
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