Are You a Product of Your Environment - or of Your Own Choices?


After Hurricane Sandy hit Westchester, my house lost electricity for two weeks.

Two weeks! Can you believe that - in New York?!

After several days of living out of a hotel, I began to feel a little down in the dumps. Pretty frustrated and angry. Which was natural.

But the thing is, the situation also affected how I looked at the rest of the things in my life that had nothing to do with my house: my work, my friends, my family…I began to see all of it in a negative light. I got a little testy, a little impatient with those around me.

Basically, I was letting my circumstances dictate my character.

It was like the storm took out the power in my house, and then I went the rest of the way and turned off my own powers of positive thinking, and being appreciative for what I have, and finding creative ways around obstacles.

Then one day I woke up and realized, yeah, it sucks living out of a hotel, but I have a lot more to be thankful for than not.

I shook off the cobwebs that had been accumulating on my spirit, and I got back to business.

Adversity should reveal our character - it shouldn’t form our character.

The next time something in your environment is getting you down, remember that you’re not a product of your environment.

You’re a product of the way you choose to look at the world, and the decisions you make accordingly.

Dark clouds are inevitable.  How we respond is up to us!


4 comments


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