I truly believe many people can be shaped and defined by their environments growing up. I also understand the opposing narrative, where someone can grow up in an environment and do the exact opposite of what that environment offered. For example, there is an old story about two boys who had a father who was an alcoholic.

One son became an alcoholic. “What choice do I have?” he said. “My father is an alcoholic.”
The other son never touched a drop of alcohol. “How could I?” he said. “Look what it did to my father.”

“We don’t always get to choose what happens to us or around us, but we can choose how we respond.  We can’t control the circumstances, but we have total and complete control over our reaction. These two sons started in the same place, with the same circumstances. However, they chose completely different paths as a result of their situation.”

I realize why some people live based on their environment. Number 1 - It’s easy in the sense that people don’t have to think for themselves. Their decisions and actions are laid out for them right infront of their eyes, meaning they can live life on autopilot and simply run through the motions. Number 2 - they are doing what is “normal” and their normal is what they have seen their entire life.

When we’re younger we don’t necessarily have a choice of who our parents are, where we live, what traditions and habits we learn, who we surround ourselves with and what our household environment is like. That’s why some people live as their environment lives- whether it’s good or bad.

But I also understand how someone can take a look at their environment and decide that they want more, they want to be better and make their own choices.

The main take away from this parable is this - just because your environment acts a certain way, doesn’t mean you have to. You are the creator of your own life. The way not to have your environment affect you is by taking a step back out of the figurative box and seeing your life in a clarity state. Then consciously decide how you want to live your life. Choose how you want to act, what habits you want to form, what you want to eat, what you want to value and so on. Ask yourself “Am I living this one life based on my terms and how I want to live it?” Or am I living this one life based on how my environment lives/once lived?

Once you answer those questions you will begin to see your life take a new shape. Never forget that we always have a choice in deciding the way we want to live our life. And remember, it’s always harder going against the grain, but doing what seems hard in the moment will pay off in the long run.