JOURNAL HIGHLIGHTS: The Roads I Have Traveled ... Excerpt # 2 from November 1996

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

Some have said, “You will grow too fast, and you will never have enough money to keep Project C.U.R.E. afloat.” 

I’ve thought about that a lot … even on this trip while sitting in the hotel room cooling my jet engines.It appears that we will need money for phones, computers, insurance, trucks, fuel, repairs on donated equipment, travel, training, utilities, office supplies, printing, postage, forklifts, pallet jacks, program software, maintenance and upkeep, container shipments … for … for … for … And that’s for each satellite location as well as the home office in Denver. 

 It would only take half a brain and one eye to conclude that this is an impossible thing to accomplish. I can’t do it; I know that. I don’t suffer under any false illusions … but I do have a very wealthy personal friend, and I have had the occasion to keep him fully apprised of the entire project. In fact, most of the successful ideas we are now implementing came at his suggestion. When I tell him what’s happening and the fact that we will have shipped, just this year alone, over fifty containers to forty different countries, and the worth of those loads over the past two years equals nearly $20,000,000 (that’s twenty million for those who keep track of zeros), and it was done with almost no money, I get this picture in my mind that I will see a twinkle in his eye and a slight grin at the left corner of his mouth.

And he will quietly whisper under his breath, “Oh yes, and don’t forget the healing that took place in the bodies of many of my children, and the hope that was ignited in the hearts of thousands of my hurting pilgrims who had just about stumbled over to the side of the road to sit down and quit the trek because it seemed there was just no use in going on to the next oasis.”

This wealthy friend of mine just may be showing me another lesson about money. I had to learn once before a very traumatic lesson in his school of eternal economics. He kindly tutored me in the fact that I was, indeed, addicted to the money. It was kind of painful, as I recall, going through the process of breaking that addiction. And, little by little, his curriculum has brought me to the conclusion that he owns and is presently actively involved in managing absolutely everything that exists in this present time-space continuum called life and earth and wealth and stuff.

So I guess I have come to the unorthodox conclusion that I am not going to harp on him about money to meet the needs of Project C.U.R.E. That would tarnish the picture of his true creativity and perhaps even insult him—and I have learned that proper conduct definitely does not include insulting the wealthy.

However, with great importunity, I have decided to bug the daylights out of him to appropriate adequate resources to carry out what he has already started in us as a good work. For that request I feel perfectly at ease bursting into his secret place and blurting out, “Abba, Daddy, please help me. We’re trying to be your feet and legs and hands and arms to take healing to those who need healing and hope to those who need hope. If I am not the one to be leading this charge, please get to the replacement plan as quickly as possible and get me out of the way so that another who is more perceptive in such things as obedience can carry on the work to completion.”

Wouldn’t it just be something if we finally broke past that barrier of thinking I can’t do it because I don’t have the money? He would absolutely surprise us all and get the job done without money—or an even greater surprise—once we let loose of our old patterns and expectations of how he “ought” to answer and become comfortable with the idea that he has the freedom of creativity of doing it just any jolly old way he wants to. And then he would come back around after our addiction is healed and really, really surprise us by doing it with money as his select resource.

At any rate, I am going to quit spending my energy trying to coach my wealthy friend. I just want to stay focused on getting and keeping in the game as a player, not a coach. And I believe that one day soon that twinkle in his eye and the grin at the left corner of his mouth will break into a full-fledged grin and maybe even into a robust laugh of exuberance as he says, “Well, you finally did it. Well done, well done, my friend.”

Next Week: Early days in Nepal

© Dr. James W. Jackson
Permissions granted by Winston-Crown Publishing House
www.jameswjackson.com

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson. 

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com

INTRODUCING: THE ROADS I HAVE TRAVELED, A JOURNEY TO DELIVER HEALTH AND HOPE

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

Project C.U.R.E. actually started before 1987. But, since that was the year they sent their first ocean-going cargo containers into Brazil, that is the year they use as their official starting date. Project C.U.R.E. quickly began maturing into a viable and recognized humanitarian organization, shipping multi-millions of dollars’ worth of donated medical supplies and pieces of equipment each year to needy developing countries around the world.

Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) was created to “identify, solicit, collect, sort, and distribute medical supplies and services according to the imperative needs of the world.” Project C.U.R.E. operated on the economic premise that a developing country could not build a successful economy on sick people. The idea was if you help the people get healthy, you will also achieve a healthier economy. It gave opportunity for everyone involved to end up better off.

Project C.U.R.E. had to prove itself that it could be trusted to receive and handle highly risk-laden commodities. The medical donors knew that if Project C.U.R.E. were to mess up in the receiving and distributing of their medical goods, the community would not just hold Project C.U.R.E. responsible, but would reach through and past Project C.U.R.E. to any deeper pockets available. That would involve risk to the medical institution or manufacturer that had made the donation. In the past it had apparently been easier and less risky for the medical industry to simply bury their overstock and second generation items in either warehouses or local landfills.

Early on, a policy was implemented by Project C.U.R.E. that no medical goods would be distributed to any place in the world unless some representative from Project C.U.R.E. had first gone there to personally perform an extensive needs assessment report on that particular hospital or clinic. That was part of the due diligence and accountability that was accepted by them to maintain the integrity of the endeavor.

In the beginning, that seemed like a simple task. But as Project C.U.R.E. began to grow, word got out that they were donating millions of dollars in medical equipment each year to recipients around the world. If the organization helped one hospital in South America or Africa, ten more institutions would hear about the donation. The requests for assistance multiplied exponentially.

Gradually, the medical community and industry began to feel confident working with Project C.U.R.E. In fact, many of the organizations were discovering that it was just good business to include a partnership with Project C.U.R.E. into their corporate strategy. It was good public relations to be identified with supporting an effective international humanitarian endeavor.

Other corporations were finding that it made a lot of sense, financially, to be generous with Project C.U.R.E. by emptying their warehouses of overstocked goods and last week’s “great sellers.” Each week brought new and improved items that had come on line because of a company’s aggressive and successful research and development departments. Project C.U.R.E. could take those donated life-saving items, distribute them, and also work with the donors on receiving any accounting advantages available.

Dr. James W. Jackson, founder of Project C.U.R.E., began carefully documenting everything in his official Travel Journals regarding the philosophy, design, implementation, and distribution of the operation of Project C.U.R.E. The Journals are based on his personal travels to more than 150 countries around the world. Reading the narrative journals and viewing the volumes of photos will allow a person to travel with Dr. Jackson to thousands of locations worldwide and be a part of the growth and effectiveness of Project C.U.R.E.

Dr. Jackson claims that, “Specifically, I felt it necessary (1) to validate the need around the world for donating medical supplies to developing countries, (2) to validate the fact that there were ample sources of overstock medical supplies and pieces of medical equipment sufficient to sustain a humanitarian donation business, and (3) to document all the episodes and miracles of such an endeavor.” The individual Travel Journals have become one-of-a-kind research articles covering important facts about thousands of international venues and institutions. Such information had never before been compiled.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has applauded Dr. Jackson and told him that no one has accomplished what he has achieved in compiling such information. Even the ministers of health of the countries have not gone where you have gone and compiled the information. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State awarded Dr. Jackson with the coveted Florence Nightingale Award for his outstanding service.

Winston–Crown Publishing House is proud to announce an agreement with Dr. Jackson to publish his entire collection of travel journals under the title The Roads I Have Traveled: A Journey to deliver Health and Hope.

While the collection is being processed for publication, brief excerpts from the journals will be featured each week here on Dr. Jackson’s blog site. That will give his readers a glimpse into the exciting material, and introduce them to the vast array of content through snippets and examples of people, places, events, and miracles chronicled in the journals.

Get your inspirational passports and visas in order so that you can be a part of the exciting adventure of delivering health and hope around the world.
Bon Voyage.

Permissions granted by Winston-Crown Publishing House

 
 

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson. 

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com