“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Introduction

For too long now, we have been tearing each other down thus creating a toxic, negative and divisive environment. If only, we would wake up and come to a realization that this tearing down is causing our country to be torn into broken pieces.  This is 20/20. Let us put the broken pieces together and start building up each other.

How to build people up?

Encourage them

One way we can build people up is to encourage people. You can encourage someone by simply praising them for their efforts and supporting their efforts whether it is a business or a community event. Don’t just encourage someone because they are affiliated with your political party or they go to the same church as you or they are from same island or country as you. Praise everyone for the good they have done. Encourage our youth and old alike.

Support them

A number of people have businesses and events taking place. Support their businesses and support their events. If you support them, they will be in a position to help others. Sometimes we only support one set of people and one set of businesses while others are failing due to no support.

Look at people as people

Too many times we look at people and refer them in a derogatory manner simply because of their jobs or their background. It is amazing that we as black people get offended and rightly offended if “white” people call us niggers. However, we as black people don’t see anything wrong calling other people derogatory names such “you little Haitian”.  That statement in itself is condescending. Treat people like people no matter their background. Build them up especially if you say you are Christian. After all, people are human beings and they have emotions.

Train them

Build people up by training them whether on the job or through sponsorship of courses at College and University. We should not try to keep people down. The knowledge you have obtained, share it with others.  Our role as supervisors or bosses should be to equip others so they can be promoted to assume our roles.

Love them

There is too much hatred and jealousy and over simple things. Try to love people no matter who they are or where they are from. Love is the key for building people up.

Be positive

Too many times when we hear negative things about people, we are quick to spread the gossip without even confirming the facts.  Let us be positive about others. Speak well about others. Speak well about your country. Speak well about other nationalities. Even when you are faced with negative situations, look at the positive side about it.

Give them an opportunity

Give people an opportunity. Don’t leave others out because of past experiences of others. To the Government, give people concessions too like the developers are getting. To the employers, give employees and potential employees an opportunity for the right position. To the financial institutions, remove the bureaucracy for access to financing. Give us a chance. Take a risk like what you take for others.

Conclusion

As I mentioned on Financially Speaking Show, politicians measure their success most of the time based on the construction of roads, buildings, number of jobs created and government surpluses. The private sector measures their success on the bottom line which is the net income.

However, the missing element is the building up of people. How many local people are in key positions? How many locals are successful entrepeneurs? How many people are doing what they really want to do? How many people have excess funds?