Sunday, May 11, 2008

History does make a difference


In our rush to look forward, stay current, catch the next trend we may miss the importance of what went before. History influences today’s actions. A visit to Vilnius, Lithuania (www.vilnius.com) a tour of the KGB museum, listening to conversations about attitudes toward work in Lithuania today reminded me that history counts. Lithuania is a country new (2004) to the European Union (www.europa.eu), filled with energy and possibility but some days limited by old ways of thinking, conducting business. Moving from a command economy to a free market, is not easy, nor quick. It takes time to shake off old patterns. Check the history of a country and gain some insights to what happens today.

Sources for quick look at a country’s history? CultureGrams. http://www.culturegrams.com. Order all 201 countries or only $4.00 the report for the specific country that interests you. Each report includes much more than history. Or search Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org). Two sources of many. Either way, remember to look back even as you look forward.

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