This past Friday in our Level 3 session we reviewed the markets as we always do and then wrapped up with some personal talk about what we have been experiencing in our worlds. This chat led to a discussion on history.
I have never particularly been a fan of history, maybe it’s because I found it boring in school, maybe it was the way the information was presented or maybe the stories just didn’t it for me. Whatever it was, something about history didn’t resonate with me. That wasn’t until I got a little older.
I remember one day thinking that I felt like I didn’t know anything about world history—I mean I remember the basics, WWI, WWII, war of independence and few other things—but I didn’t really know anything about those moments in time, what caused them to happen, who was involved etc. I don’t think I really even questioned what was taught to me; I just felt like I didn’t know enough.
Fast forward a few years after digging into many books on history and reading about all sorts of things that took place in our past and one thing I started to realize is that what I was taught in school did not tell the whole story. In fact many things were left out, very important things I might add. So I started getting really excited about learning more. The more I learned, the more I realized that so was so much I never understood and so many judgements I had about the past that were not grounded in truth.
One thing I always try to remember is something I told myself years ago, whenever someone tries to make you feel a certain way about something that is either negative or positive and sometimes just to feel nothing; investigate it and see what you learn for yourself. I have bought a few books in my lifetime that many would consider taboo but I bought them so I could read and find out what the fuss was all about. In the process I learned a lot. Many times the most important thing I learned is that these books contained a message, information or ideas that were to be silenced and forgotten about.
Sometimes we have a feeling like a certain subject is boring or that there is nothing else to know about something because you feel there is nothing else to know, but what if you were meant to feel that way for a reason? What if you knew that if you started reading more history books -- the books that tell a different side of the stories you are all too comfortable with – you would start to see things about the world you live in today in a much clearer way.
Sir Winston Churchill said “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and this really tells you all you need to know. If you fail to learn from the past; you will fall into the same traps that were fallen for previously.
It is not easy to find different perspectives from history, not easy to find the information that some would prefer you didn’t see but it’s out there and you should take it upon yourself to find it. JUST A HINT THOUGH… it’s not readily available on your television or streaming service but I’ll tell you something, once you start to put together all the different perspectives of history together, you’ll soon realize things you never thought possible!
Kevin Araujo