Ditto

Ditto. Or…… I could say ‘same again’. This month has been a repeat of last month. One where I felt God’s hand on absolutely everything, and I am not quite sure how I got through all I did. A healthcare education assessment visit to Guinea, a Program’s Conference (reviewing lessons learned and making future plans), a visit to Ghana for the West African College of Surgeons Meeting, and an International Maxillo-facial Surgery Conference here in Pointe Noire. I have given several talks and written several reports. I am tired but satisfied. When I started with Mercy Ships over two years ago, many of these things were mere ideas. It is amazing how far we have come, and I am grateful to so many people who have made it happen (over 100 crew members alone have helped with our one-on-one mentoring education projects). And that is just the tip of the ice-berg. I am also in awe of how ‘things or coincidences have just happened’, such as conversations occurring in the right order, chance meetings, being in the right place at the right time……it is the upward spiral of synergy. Or you could look at it another way and call it the reverse phenomena of the ‘swiss cheese model’ of medical errors (for those familiar with Medical Risk Analysis) I could go into more details but I thought I’d share something else I have been musing on. I remember what used to happen when I needed repairs or building work done around my house back home. I didn’t want to get ‘ripped off’ and always wanted a good deal on the price, but at the same time I always wanted the builder to earn a good wage. I wanted him to make good money, enough to feed his family and still have enough to be generous to others. I never felt these two aims were mutually exclusive. I have always believed it was possible because it is God’s heart for everyone to ‘prosper them and not to harm them’. That means me AND the builder. Stephen Covey would call this a win / win situations. Stephen Covey is the author of the best-selling book called ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’. It was suggested a few years ago that I read this book as part of my Personal Development Plan for my NHS Appraisal (essential for my medical license). I highly recommend the book and I re-read it in preparation for some of the things on my plate this month. As I this last month unfolded, I found myself watching and using many things I had learnt from the book! The book also gave a terminology to things I had always intrinsically believed but never articulated so eloquently, such as win/win scenarios with my builders. ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’ literally describes 7 principles or habits by which to live your life. The first 3 habits centre on Private Victories, based around being proactive, having vision and purpose and being disciplined in achieving these things. The next 3 habits relate to Public Victories and involve win/win scenarios, synergising and most important of all, seeking first to be understand before being understood. And finally, the 7th habit is an all encompassing habit which is about taking care of yourself. Not in a selfish way, but in a kind of biblical ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ type way, ie if you cannot love yourself and take care of yourself how can you do it for others. We must learn to value ourselves and our time. The book was first published in 1989 and has remained a best-seller for over 20 years. The principles and habits described have remained successful across a generation, and that is an achievement in itself as culture and work ethic changes. At the end of the book, Stephen Covey writes a personal note which says: ‘As I conclude this book, I would like to share my own personal conviction concerning what I believe to be the source of correct principles. I believe that correct principles are natural laws, and that God, the Creator and Father of us all, is the source of our conscience. I believe that to the degree people live by this inspired conscience, they will grow to fulfil their natures; to the degree that they do not, they will not rise above the animal plane. I believe that there are parts to human nature that cannot be reached by either legislation or education, but require the power of God to deal with. I believe that as human beings, we cannot perfect ourselves. To the degree to which we align ourselves with correct principles, divine endowments will be released within our nature in enabling us to fulfil the measure of our creation.’ I share these beliefs. I need the power of God to help change the darker aspects of my human nature. I cannot perfect myself. And I need divine endowments to help me do what I do, and to fulfil my nature and my destiny. The word of God stands forever and the principles in the Bible are true and useful for all aspects of our lives. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As we align ourselves with these principles, we begin to fulfil our destiny and live as we were originally designed to live. Success is released in our own lives and the lives of those around us. I saw that this month. Just like last month. And what about next month…..something tells me I will be saying ‘Ditto’ …… all over again.