Feb 14, 2021
What the failed revolution of a Roman Aristocrat can teach us
Time for a history lesson!
One of my closest friends gifted me a book on Roman history called SPQR by Mary Beard, and I’ve been going deep on it like a virgin losing his virginity on his wedding night (rough analogy?)
Anyways, there was this one Roman Aristocrat named Catiline that wanted to start a revolution in Rome around 63 BCE.
Basically, this guy went broke from his failed election campaigns and wanted a fresh start. And when I mean a fresh start, I mean burn the city down and erase all the debts of the people.
To make a long story short, he failed and died in the process.
Such is the life in Rome.
But what I got from this was that sometimes it is best to destroy everything and get a fresh start.
Now stay with me.
When I mean to destroy everything, I mean to destroy your comfortable environment. This can be done by simply moving to a new city, province/state, or country.
Just rid yourself of your entire comfortable area.
When you do this, you can’t help but leave the person you were back home.
Being in a new place brings new wonder to your life. But most importantly, it naturally forces you to grow to deal with all the novel problems you are faced with.
Like developing a new social circle from scratch.
Developing a new network from scratch.
Developing an identity that won’t succumb to being comfortable.
And as result, you have to figure out solutions to these challenges, otherwise, you are going to miss your comfortable and growth-inhibiting lifestyle.
And I’m not talking out of my ass.
I left my hometown and had to deal with all the challenges I mentioned and more. But you know what, I’ve been able to become much more authentic.
I’m in a new town where nobody knows me and I cannot only start to be authentic but maintain it.
Being in my old town, I could still be authentic, but I would have to deal with people trying to treat me like the old insecure and weak Bulcha.
In fact, The Charismatic Nerd would get less respect back home, since I already have a set identity at home, and it would be difficult to change it.
Like the Bible says: ‘no prophet is accepted in his home town’ (Luke 4:16–30).
Anyways, don’t take this as a sign to leave town overnight.
I just want you to think about your life and your direction.
Will you grow in your current place or do you need to burn your comfortable environment and go somewhere else?
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