First published in The Standard Newspaper Oct. 19th, 2017 I enjoy learning about history, whether it's the history of the world, the country, our local area, or family histories.
What is it that interests us about history? I can't speak for everyone, but for me, it's the personal stories of those who have gone on before us. Their struggles, dreams, and humourous happenings can inspire us to carry their legacy forward and can also help us to avoid repeating their mistakes. It's important we view history with an understanding of the period. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of those who lived it, rather than reading into it our modern viewpoints. For an extreme example, a surprising number of people in Europe, before the Second World War, were open to the rise of Adolf Hitler, or his movement anyway. We may judge them in retrospect, using a modern framework, but their view wasn't based on supporting Nazism. In the early days, many saw Hitler as a way to stop the spread of Communism coming from Russia. Things didn't turn out the way they thought, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, so we can see that now. This is why a first-person historical perspective, can be the most effective. When we lay aside our preconceived notions and opinions drawn from more current events, we are able to see through the eyes of someone else's time. Through the personal stories in history, we meet people who lived in a familiar, yet strangely different, world. While learning about this by-gone world, we can assess what we've gained, and what we've lost. This can give us a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices that made our lives possible. It reminds us to appreciate time proven traditions, the wisdom of our elders, and in addition, our veterans. Almost paradoxically, looking backward can help us advance forward. Not only can we appreciate what once was, but we can use the mentalities of early pioneers to rethink and re-approach our current society. No matter our stance or background, anyone can easily get laser-focused on doing things our own way. Putting ourselves in the shoes of people throughout history can offer us alternative ways of approaching our world today. As a Christian, I find this approach very helpful when assessing my Christian beliefs. I need to put myself in the shoes of the people in the Bible, to understand how I should apply it in my own life today. I need to put aside my own cultural and circumstantial ideas first, to be able to view things of another time properly. Going back to the basics, reading the gospels, and the history of the early church in the Book of Acts, can give us a more accurate picture. The same is true of other periods in history, not just history during the time the Bible was written. If we go back to the basics of the founding of our societies, the later disruptions of those goals, whether good or bad, we gain an understanding of why we're where we are today. Then we can start to determine if we are where we should be. This works for the evaluation of our personal lives as well. Whether a Biblical, other international, national, local, or family history, I encourage you to look into history. Put aside your “Post-conceived” notions (perspectives of history made after it happened), and try to understand what the people at the time were experiencing. You might be surprised by what you find! God bless!
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'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', the saying says. While I haven't met 'Jack' personally, it's safe to say, 'all play and no work' would make Jack a pauper. Unless Jack came from an independently wealthy family, but I digress. Work and enjoyment are often posed as clashing ideas, when in fact they are not mutually exclusive. Work can provide enjoyment, if we approach it with a proper attitude. There are times when someone has to spend some serious thought over changing their career. For most of us though, we only need to change our perspective on work, to enjoy it more. I'm blessed to enjoy a job with many different tasks. My job title is “multimedia producer”. My role is converting our written content into digital means, as well as creating original digital content. But like many employees in small businesses, I wear whatever hat is needed, to help our business be the best it can. Sometimes this means delivering newspapers, answering phone calls or emails, selling classified ads, fixing computers, speaking with readers and customers, running errands, among anything else that's needed*. It's this variety that keeps me interested. Perhaps your job is the same every day and you don't have as much variety. I'd suggest trying to find ways of creating variety in your routine. Do you have several daily tasks? Trying shaking up the order in which you do them. Sometimes when we want a change of scenery, all we need is a change of angle. Try rearranging your office once in a while, to get a fresh outlook. This fresh outlook may help bring some enjoyment back into your work. It's also important to discover what responsibilities you enjoy, so you can see if there are any ways to adapt your work to include them. Are you the type who gets joy from regular interaction with other people? The cubicle might not be for you. You may not need to change jobs, but try finding ways to interact more. Try eating lunch with your co-workers in a common area, rather than alone in your office. You could also offer to work a few hours interacting directly with customers. Unfortunately, many people dislike working in customer service. But, if you enjoy working with people, your boss may take you up on the offer. Whether it means asking for an office with a window, taking lunch breaks outdoors, or making a non-distracting game out of mundane tasks, there are many ways to enjoy your work. You may be of one of the few who needs to change your job altogether, but give yourself a chance to see your job through fresh eyes, first. Here's to more enjoyment in your workplace! God bless. footnotes*Just recently, one of these tasks included speaking with the government on issues concerning the relationship between community newspapers and the government in Ontario. It was a great experience and one I was happy to do. It perfectly exemplified the variety of tasks I enjoy in my job. Related postUnrelated post |
I'm a lover of Jesus, and he has called me to love and obey Him. One of the ways He has me do that, is by glorifying Him through media.
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