Strength in Our Environments

For most of us, we “inhabit” three environments, or worlds. There is our inner circle of family and close friends, the next circle of co-workers and professional connections. And finally, the wider world of our organizations or society at large. Each affects our well-being in different ways, due to the strength of the relationships. We affect these environments, and depending on our mindset, each can affect us in a myriad of ways.

Have you ever thought about what happens when we let what goes on in our environment determine how we feel on the inside? When things are going well, we feel good, cheerful, positive, and full of enthusiasm. But, when the least little thing goes wrong, we start to unravel.

If this happens, we can start feeling like a victim, and when we feel like a victim, we give up control of our lives. There are those who believe that we are victims because we have chosen to be that way. This is a harsh critique, but there may be a grain of truth in it. We have chosen to not take the bull by the horns, and confront the obstacle.

Others say that if you are not having problems, you are missing an opportunity for growth. This is exactly the thing we are talking about. You make the choice to take charge of how you respond and what you do, regardless of what is happening in your environment.

You know, there is only one thing in life over which we have complete control, and that is what goes on inside our minds. When you choose to take charge of your thoughts, of the things you tell yourself, you become immensely powerful. Certainly, you may feel disappointment when things go wrong, but you can choose to see all of the setbacks as temporary. You can choose to use them as opportunities to grow. You develop the ability to quickly bounce back when you hit an obstacle, as well as gaining the incredible strength that comes from standing up to adversity.

The choice really is yours to make – it always has been, and will continue to be so in the future. You are in charge of you, your beliefs and the decisions you make. There is great strength in that, and, when harnessed, tremendous power to positively affect the environment around you.