As I look around me and see the Middle East driven by the GCC nations successfully developing long term strategies built on Communication, Citizen Empowerment, and Growth, I cannot but ask myself what went wrong in my Lebanon!

The easiest and least effective action anyone can do when a problem arises is to point fingers. Putting the blame on someone else or something is a poisonous habit that most humans fall into in the absence of other explanations.
We have heard of a SUPER Lebanon that existed once (reference Photo pre-civil war); a politically, economically, and socially stable Lebanon that was so attractive to be nicknamed "Switzerland of the Middle East”.
So, what went wrong? 
It is true that there have been external reasons beyond our control – i.e. wars that took place on our land and nearby countries. However, what we could have controlled and still can control is how we deal with the aftermath. 
This has to do with the mindset.
Remember how you tried to calm your crying child after telling them that their broken toy cannot be fixed? Or when you calm your coworker after they got no buy-in on their first creative proposal meeting? Did you teach them that there is no point of crying over spilt milk? We somehow forgot to preach to ourselves about this too. We forgot that complaining has never solved a problem, but rather a desire to solve the problem could surely do. Finding the root cause of the lack of buy-in on the creative proposal or taking that broken toy to the pawn shop can help reach a solution. The same applies to us - at micro levels of course.  

When we give up trying to understand what went wrong, we literally anchor that coveted state of mind. When we create awareness on the reasons and the possible solutions, when we understand the pros and cons of staying in the victims’ shoes versus deciding to do something about it and take the required action, we then create a desire for change. 
Just like managing a fall in a company’s stock price, or a challenge in digital transformation adoption, or an obstacle in entering a new market, the lack of motivation is also an issue that should be addressed with the correct questions. 
What went wrong? How can we fix it? At what Level? Using what tools and resources? What’s in it for you and for me, for our families, and most importantly for our Lebanon?

One might argue that the situation is so drastic & it literally can’t be fixed. Lebanon is not Hiroshima, right? Our status is worse than that of Hiroshima’s back in 1945! Why? Because, unlike us, the "Hibakushas” collectively decided to clean up the mess and become the 11th largest city on Planet Japan 30 years later. What did it take? A proper mindset. 

Again, I’ll be the devil’s advocate here: I often hear phrases like "They won’t let us” or "People do not want to fix things” or "what about the others”? Well, what about YOU? Would you like to adopt a more positive and productive mindset that will start with YOU, and extends to your family & friends, then to your neighbors and community and eventually spreads throughout Lebanon and Lebanese? Just like bad habits, good habits are contagious!