“Our environment should not limit our choices in life!”

We are all a product of the environments that we have been exposed to some good and some bad. When you look around the world there are children and adults that are dealing with the negative impacts of the environments in which they live in. We have been taught about peer pressure and the effects of those that we come in contact with each day. There are those that have less than adequate resources such as the disparity with schools for the lower class as compared to the resources afforded by the upper and elite societies. Many of the less fortunate resort to illegal activities as a means to survive when they feel there are no other options available. Most of us are not faced with the extreme circumstances as previously described; however, we still face decisions based on what we are exposed to and influenced by. A negative environment can change who we are as we react to our surroundings instead of being steadfast as to whom we are. Many relationships fail as a result of the feeling that we lost ourselves along the way as the relationship turned us into someone we did not like. How can we add alternative options to our lives so we avoid succumbing to the negative aspects of the environment in which we live?

Our environment shows us the options that are present within our environment but does not represent all options. We must first understand who we are as individuals and what we want our life to resemble. Throughout or lives we will be faced with environmental dangers in which our choices will be key to our success and happiness or lack thereof. People teach us more of what not to do or what not to be then we are taught what to do or what to be. Lessons learned based on our bad experiences can take a toll on us. Regardless of our environment we should not only be able to thrive and be our true selves, we should not let anyone or anything transform us into someone that is not an accurate representation of ourselves. Our relationships with friends, family or significant others should be one that allows us to be who we are. If we are not desirable to others for whom we are then we should be okay with that as we move on and look for those the value and appreciate how we are. We are all works in progress and our environment can mold or shape us if we allow it. We should challenge ourselves to remain true to who we are and we should be the determiner of how we grow, develop and the choices we make, not our environment!