After watching this short series on Netflix called Marco Polo it opened my mind to why we often become driven to conquer and control so much around us in the name of "goals" or "ambition".
This time was really an amazing part of history that I knew very little about, which caused me to read about it further after being exposed to it.
Are you aware that Ghenghis Khan established a dynasty that became the largest contiguous land mass ever controlled by one governing authority or individual?
Originating in the steppes of Central Asia, the Mongol Empire eventually stretched from Central Europe to the Sea of Japan, extending northwards into Siberia, eastwards and southwards into the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, and the Iranian plateau, and westwards as far as the Levant and Arabia.
The amount of effort and tactics used to create such an empire amazed me to ponder not only how but even more, Why? It was such a large amount of territory to govern by one singular authority that the brutal means they often resorted to create fear and keep all in line seemed a bit overwhelming.
It made me think about how often we get off track in search of accomplishing so much and in turn lose site of remaining correct in the process. Goals, aspirations and accomplishment are not wrong, in fact they can be great proof of a job well done but the way we go about creating our LIFE impact is the real level of success we are all searching for.
It was surprising to see some of the tactics resorted to inside of this mini series to establish fear in the subjects of all the lands. There was a regular practice of crucifying the people of a village and leaving them hanging to send a message to all travelers that they were entering the Khan Dynasty. The "silk road" was established as a trade route between Venice and China that gave the Khans control of all silk in the world among many other precious goods and all travelers were required to pay large homage for entering the region. This created incredible wealth and expansion to each of the Khans for almost 200 years. If you are a student of world history this is not the only example of an individual or small group of individuals attempting to manage so much and resorting to poor tactics to maintain their vision for their country or region.
It seems outrageous to discuss today but the truth is that we all get lost in this same scenario from time to time where our focus on our task often overtakes our desire to care for the relationships we have been given. If you enjoy history and new angles on history this mini series might be worth a watch but even more that that I think understanding our truest "values" and what we do to reach them is a great thought to ponder today.
I will write more on "Values" in the near future and how they drive our ethics, morals and actions and therefore are truly deserving of our attention as we go about developing them. Whatever your values are today, know them and know how they cause each of your actions to create what you are after today.
More to come on this subject and I hope your values are clear and serving you to become your best as well as serving all of those you care about in your life today!
