Starting over is hard to do?
The title of the blog post, starting over is hard to do, ends with a question mark because I wanted to create doubt in your mind, is it or isn’t it? I have been learning about the Black Plague in my History of Architecture class, which is a part of my non-degreed liberal arts education. According to National Geographic, “Most infamous of all was the Black Death, a medieval pandemic that swept through Asia and Europe. It reached Europe in the late 1340s, killing an estimated 25 million people. The Black Death lingered on for centuries, particularly in cities. Outbreaks included the Great Plague of London (1665-66), in which one in five residents died.”
On the Eyewitness to History website, “Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25 percent and 50 percent of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.” And according to Wikipedia, “The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, killing an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1348–50 CE.”
But what does the Black Plague have to do with starting over? Actually a lot. The Plague devastated the population of Europe and most of the master craftsmen died. The Black Plague occurred in the Middle Ages (400 CE to 1400 CE), and during that time it was rare that anyone except the clergy – cardinals, monks, priests, bishops and so on – were able to read. It’s worth remembering that Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th Century, which increased literacy rates. In addition to the clergy, many of the master crafters were able to read as well, and they taught their protégés learned the craft by apprenticing with the Masters. Since the black plague decimated the population in Europe, the artists and architects who came after the Plague had to look to antiquity to learn about the crafts.
Based on what they learned when they looked at antiquity – at what was documented, these artists and architects were able to progress and become master crafters themselves. They experimented and rebuilt the industries. What this tells me that it is important to understand the fundamentals in your field and then build on that. You also have to document and share your work so that others may build on it. On top of that, when you understand the fundamentals, and all the rules in your field, you are then able to break the rules, innovate and reinvent.
You may not face challenges and setbacks such at the Black Plague, but there often comes a point in your life when you have to start over. Starting over is hard to do? Not necessarily, but it may be a lot of work. Instead of trying to cover the setback, or build on something that’s broken, it may make sense to start over. Have you ever had to start over? Was it hard to do? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Liked this post? Share it and subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Author Bio: Avil Beckford, an expert interviewer, entrepreneur and published author is passionate about books and professional development, and that's why she founded The Invisible Mentor and the Virtual Literary World Tour to give you your ideal mentors virtually in the palm of your hands by offering book reviews and book summaries, biographies of wise people and interviews of successful people.
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