have you ever heard the phrase “you are a product of your environment”?
albeit very challenging to do so in some cases, there are plenty of us who rise above our circumstances + go on to live the life we’ve always desired.
rising above our circumstances doesn’t negate the fact that we were shaped by our past experiences + situations.
when we were younger, we had very little to no say on where or in how we were raised.
in turn, we had to make due with what we had at that time + use it to get where we wanted to be.
you’ve been deciding all of your life, fam.
whether you decided to stay put or to branch out, there was always a choice to make.
today, gratefully, we have another choice.
if you feel like you never had a chance in life to explore what you wanted, now — today — is your chance to do just that.
we can decide what we will endure from this day forward, fam —
isn’t that wonderful news?
moreover, we can choose to put ourselves in environments that are conducive to what we need most.
when we are surrounded with mess, it’s not a huge surprise when we see mess starting to seep into our lives.
it’s hard to avoid the residue when everyone around you is indulging without care or concern.
likewise, we can truly thrive in environments that hold space for growth, that challenge us to think outside of ourselves, + that promote peace + love as its core values.
that’s also what it looks like to be a product of our environments — truly thriving.
dear dope chick:
you may be a product
of your environment,
but you can change.
it’s true, you aren’t built different than anyone there, rather you have chosen to move forward —
with resilience, with strength, with a different mindset, + in a different environment.
you can remember where you came from while also reminding yourself where you’re choosing to go.
both can exist.
both are yours to own.
both remembering + reminding are choices you can make today.
be you, be dope!
Phylicia Sadsarin
Mindset Coach
journal prompt(s) for today:
what type of environment did you grow up in?
what can you say about how it’s shaped you today? do you think you’re a different person now?
do you want to go back to that place? why or why not?