Learning Archives - Page 5 of 9

United we stand, divided we fall

June 2, 2023

“𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥”

It is a familiar phrase, used to express unity and collaboration.

Meaning – if we don’t stand together, ultimately, we will not succeed.

It is a phrase that has been used throughout history to inspire and lift couples, groups, teams, political parties, countries and many more.

Biblically, in Matthew 12:25 and also in Luke 11:17, the scriptures convey the common message that a house divided against itself will not stand.

In modern culture, J.K. Rowling uses a variation of the phrase in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Albus Dumbledore says, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”

The Bundle of Sticks

I love the moral of this story.

“AN OLD man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bundle of sticks and said to his eldest son: “Break it.” The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie the bundle,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he called out to them: “Now, break it,” and each stick was easily broken. “You see my meaning,” said their father.”

𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍.

Recently D. Todd Christofferson said regarding unity, that “…we cannot be one unless we all bend our efforts to the common cause.”

The common cause could be in the home, in our marriages, in our missionary companionships, in our workplaces, or in our teams.

He went on to say that “… unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony.”

David O. McKay taught “Unity, harmony, goodwill are virtues to be fostered and cherished in every home.”

I accept that unity of ideals and purpose is often hard to achieve.

So how do we build that unity, that harmony with one another?

My favourite piece of counsel and direction comes from Gordon B. Hinckley, he said “somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way.”

For all of us in life, there comes a time to confront ourselves with ourselves – it is a compulsory part of learning and growing.

A time when each of us may have to concede the error of our ways and pride gives ways to humility.

We move forward by standing together, talking together, listening together, working together, serving together, sharing together and by doing good together.

Amid all the hardships of human life, if we can understand a little more of the principle of unity and establish it in our hearts… then our homes, our marriages, our communities and our workplaces, will be much more harmonious.

If you were to explain unity to someone, what would you say?

Counselling Together

April 30, 2023

“In the abundance of council, there is wisdom” – Dallin H. Oaks.

Yesterday, we met in our mission leadership council. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss and counsel together.

Not everyone gets the chance to lead in the mission, so it is a privilege for each of the young missionaries assigned, to serve in a leadership role.

We discussed behaviours of a good leader, including self-awareness, collaboration, respect and influence.

Then, we posed the question…”𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮?”

With a leadership role there is a responsibility, to come prepared and be ready to share.

“When we can work together cooperatively…, we can accomplish anything. When we do so, we eliminate the weakness of one person standing alone and substitute the strength of many serving together.” – Thomas S. Monson

In our counselling together we discussed objectives and concerns of the mission, with mutual understanding and a shared vision being the ultimate goal.

Encouraging everyone to express their feelings was key.

It was clear that counselling together required everyone to listen as much as they spoke.

What is a SWOT Analysis?

We introduced everyone in the council session to a SWOT analysis and we used the model to address some of the challenges we face.

In essence, we are the problem-solving team of the mission.

The active participation of missionary zone leaders and sister trainer leaders, broadens the base of their leadership experience and understanding, which in turn leads to better solutions and improves communication throughout the mission.

As Russell M. Ballard said; “People who feel ownership of a problem are more willing to help find a solution, greatly improving the possibility of success.”

He also taught that it was important to “Lean upon them. Learn from them. Love them. Listen to them.”

In the Old Testament, the Prophet Isaiah said; “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). And in our day, we read in Doctrine & Covenants 50:10; “Let us reason together, that ye may understand.”

Ultimately, we came to some conclusions that everyone agreed with, and then noted some appropriate actions that they had to follow through on.

Russell M Ballard said that he has maintained all his adult life, (stemming from his background in business,) that “if you want to improve something, you’ve got to counsel about it.”

What do you counsel about?

Good, Better, Best.

April 23, 2023

This week, we joined with other European Mission Leaders at a 4-day Seminar in Den Haag, here in the Netherlands.

We counselled collectively together and received inspiring instruction from the Central Europe Area Presidency.

It was wonderful to share many experiences together, including the obligatory visit to Keukenhof!

Personally, it gave me the opportunity to reflect upon all that I have learned as Monic and I have served concertedly in Belgium and the Netherlands for nearly two years.

Through the course of the 4 days, many principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ were discussed.

For a few brief moments we spoke too about “The Chosen”.

The Chosen

For the uninitiated, it’s an enjoyable multi-season television series about Jesus Christ that has been watched by tens of millions, throughout the entire world.

Monic and I have watched all the series and are sure that many reading this post will have done likewise.

However, reflecting upon all that I continue to learn about Jesus Christ, from my perspective I have come to conclude this truism.

Connecting…

Connecting to Jesus Christ…

– Through the Chosen is 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅.

– Through the Missionaries is 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.

– Through the Scriptures is 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕.

I love The Chosen and I love our missionaries too.

Both play their part in helping many to understand the three most powerful behavioural words spoken by Jesus Christ, namely “Come Follow Me” – see Luke 18:22.

I know that as you personally study the scriptures, you will come to know the Saviour and His teachings.

Few things you do will bring greater dividends, as you absorb his words by pondering them, then letting them sink deeply into your heart and applying them into your life.

Spencer W. Kimball emphasized the need to continually read and study the scriptures. He said: ” I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.”

Enjoy The Chosen!

Invite the missionaries to speak with you!

They’ll guide you through the scriptures as you accept His personal admonition to “Come Follow Me.”

How have the missionaries helped you?

Seasons

October 9, 2022

“There’s that clatter again…” I thought.

This week, whilst in Apeldoorn, interviewing our missionaries we observed a few facts.

Here in the Netherlands, things had started to fall.

Firstly, temperatures started to fall, thankfully I’d brought my jacket.

Secondly, the nights started to draw in, the amount of daylight is decreasing.

Thirdly, as the wind blew, literally thousands of acorns were falling from the oak trees around the chapel and clattering against the roof.

I won’t forget the crunching noise of all those acorns underfoot as we walked back to the car.

Days that were long and sizzling have become short and chilly.

The season has changed.

Autumn has arrived.

In nature, seasons come and go, yet nothing remains the same for very long.

Just as in nature, we experience different seasons in our life.

‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.’ Ecclesiastes 1:2-3.

Truly, the seasons represent our time on earth.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 by Rainer Maria Rilke

The leaves are falling, falling as from far,

As if far gardens in the skies were dying;

They fall, and ever seem to be denying.

And in the night the earth, a heavy ball,

Into a starless solitude must fall.

We all are falling. My own hand no less

Than all things else; behold, it is in all.

Yet there is One who, utter gentleness,

Holds all this falling in His hands to bless.

Your current season of life may be difficult, but if you pause long enough, you may find it’s also a special one with unique blessings and challenges too.

Thomas S. Monson commented on making the most of each season in our lives to “provide time for family, time for work, time for study, time for service, time for recreation, time for self — but above all, time for Christ”

I’ve learned in life, that no matter how far we may fall, Jesus Christ will always lift you up again.

What are you learning in this season of your life?

Slow Down.

August 9, 2022

Did you miss anything?

Every day, I try to learn a new Dutch verb and place it in a sentence using the different tenses.

Today’s verb was “haasten” – to hurry.

For a short moment, as I practiced the tenses out loud, I laughed a little.

One of my key messages over the last few months, including yesterday, is the complete opposite – to 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍!

We often move too fast.

One route into our home here in the Netherlands, brings us along a road with several speed bumps.

For the optimum experience, I have learned that is it best to reduce my speed, slow down and steady my course.

It is a simple, but critical lesson to learn.

We all know the uncomfortable consequences of a high-speed journey over a speed bump!

I have concluded that speeding up isn’t the answer.

And so, it is with life.

Choosing to slow down, over obstacles and challenges in life is the answer.

In addition, for a much deeper examination of a course of study or to give consideration to a particular challenge, spend a little more time exploring by slowing down.

It will in the long run allow you to speed up elsewhere.

It takes effort.

Sometimes great effort, to catch ourselves and slow down.

My experience… slowing down helps to prevent you from missing anything!

How will you slow down today?

Somethingism

July 31, 2022

Do you believe in 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Our beliefs define who we are and what we do.

Belief – “the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true”

Somethingism – “an unspecified belief in some higher force”

I’ve met so many people here who believe in something, but they’re not sure what that something is.

When you believe in something – when you believe it to your very core – your genuine actions speak for you.

Action starts with one critical element: 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇!

Your actions will speak louder than words when you stand strong in your beliefs.

When you live by what you believe in, you not only make a difference to yourself, but also your family, your friends and your community.

Belief is the result of experience.

Beliefs can bring us together or even tear us apart.

Belief is a way of understanding and discovering ourselves and the world around us, both things seen and also unseen.

We all believe in things we can’t see, because frankly it’s not possible to see everything. For example…

– Do you believe in love?

– Do you believe in mercy?

– Do you believe in kindness?

– Do you believe in hope?

– Do you believe in justice?

All of these things we can’t see, but we know exist.

When it comes to spiritual things, I believe the answers are much the same.

Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Believing is part of life.

When it comes to matters of faith, I have confidence in my experience of reality.

I experience the fruits of my faith, every day.

The deepest things in life are not seen but felt. They bring joy.

When those deepest things get into our hearts, our very natures are changed.

And so it is with our beliefs.

I believe in something.

That something is a someone.

He is Jesus Christ.

In your pursuit of something, I know that the most important something you can learn, comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I invite you to come to know Him and love Him as I do.

As He said to the ruler of the synagogue in Mark 5:36 “…Be not afraid, only believe.”

Consider this invitation from The Book of Mormon.

…in Alma 32:27 “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words”

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧?

#HearHim

Is it for real?

July 29, 2022

𝐃𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

100 missionaries.

2 days of multi-zone conferences in Antwerp and Utrecht.

Inspiration galore.

Remarkable experiences.

Real joy.

Each afternoon, role play, after role play, after role play, after role play, with 4 different scenarios to consider.

The cheering each other on, the laughter, the glee and camaraderie was a joy to behold.

It had been a while since I’d been so involved, but once I dived in, I loved it!

So why spend so much time in role plays?

– It develops communication and language skills

– It creates opportunities to explore, scrutinize and experiment

– It allows everyone to act and make sense of real-life scenarios.

– It encourages creativity and imagination

– It motivates and engages everyone

– It inspires greater confidence

– It advances listening skills

– It promotes in the moment creative problem solving.

– It builds empathy by experiencing new perspectives

– It provides opportunities for feedback through critical observation from peers.

And above all – many new friendships were formed.

Yes – roleplay is more than just make believe.

Creating a safe space to explore scenarios together was a wonderful experience.

My personal learning takeaway was – through acting out a variety of situations, role-playing teaches that we can be 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞.

Yes, they always smile back at you!

Do you?

#learning

Learning takes practice.

June 27, 2022

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?

Growing up in Scotland in the 1970’s was a fun place to be.

I was oblivious to many of the challenges of the era, but I do recall one occasion at Primary school when I was around 9 years old, that I’ve never forgotten.

An announcement was made in class that a recorder group would be starting in school and that anyone interested to learn how to play should come along to the next practice.

I had grown up listening to my dad playing regularly on his chromatic mouth organ and like him I wanted to do something musical – he always seemed to be having so much fun!

The day came and along I went.

I was given a small descant recorder and duly started practicing in the weeks that followed.

Through lots of lessons, my playing began to improve, and I learned to read music too.

Lessons Learned

I began to understand that

Growth and development take time.

Learning takes practice.

As time passed by, one day I recall being picked upon and bullied by several boys.

“You’re just a big namby pamby, a big sissy” they’d say to me, along with a few other belittling terms.

Why?

I was the only boy, playing the recorder amongst a group of around 15 girls.

Despite the regular taunts, insulting and smart-alecky remarks, I continued playing the recorder throughout my school years and developed a resilient spirit to the comments.

Playing simple melodies, always brought joy to my youthful heart. And it still does!

In later years, in a little tender mercy, I discovered that like me, Monic too played the recorder.

Sometimes in life we have to persevere when opposition comes our way.

Oftentimes, its listening to the feelings of our heart, that can overcome the challenge of the day.

What challenge might you face today?

What does your heart think?

Do you accept mistakes?

May 17, 2022

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬?

We all make mistakes, its part of being human – they are a natural part of life.

There are however a lot of negative connotations around making mistakes, which can lead to each of us avoiding things that may stretch us.

Yet, getting it wrong is often the best way to learn.

Albert Einstein once said, ““Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

In fact, giving ourselves permission to fail takes courage!

That may even feel scary too, because it may make us a little vulnerable.

Learning from mistakes can be challenging.

Yet, mistakes are actually very valuable, as long as you learn from them, grow from them, and improve yourself.

Indeed, mistakes are an opportunity to do better next time, and we should make the best out of every mistake we make.

Top Tips

– It is important to acknowledge your mistake and own it.

– Take a deep breath, admit the error, and make your apologies.

– Identify where you went wrong.

– Find the lessons so you can improve next time.

– Apply those lessons so you don’t repeat the mistake.

– Consider sharing what you have learned with others

– Get ready for new mistakes!!

In summary – learning from mistakes is about understanding what you did wrong and making sure that you do not do it again.

What did you learn from your last mistake?

Lessons from Juggling….

March 22, 2022

“Can anyone juggle?” I asked.

A few raised their hands and I invited them forward.

I gave them three balls each and asked them to show us how.

Admittedly, they were a little rusty, but after a few attempts, the basics returned.

“Who would like to learn how to juggle?” I asked.

A few raised their hands and I invited them forward.

I gave those who could juggle the assignment to teach those who came forward how to juggle.

The challenge – they had only two minutes to show them how.

After their time was up, the novice jugglers showed us their rudimentary skills.

The result – it wasn’t very pretty, with balls flying everywhere – but it was great fun!

After a few attempts, one even managed to complete a cycle of three balls through the air.

The Lessons –

Learning takes practice.
Growth and Development takes time.

As we grow older and develop in life, we have to learn how to juggle many responsibilities. Frequently, it can take lots of practice to get things right.

That day, I gave a new set of juggling balls to the willing learners.

Pleasingly a week later, one by one they told me of their significant improvement in their juggling skills. Each of them had taken time to learn the techniques of throwing and catching a ball. They had practiced with 2 balls and then ultimately juggled with 3. With lots of continuous practice, 4 balls won’t be a problem either.

Learning something new? Don’t get too disheartened and throw in the towel too soon!

Remember, practice and time are key principles in our learning, growth and development.

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