More often than not, a lot of people spend almost their whole time trying to change themselves, but they do not even bother to change what surrounds them. They can be putting in extensive efforts - learning, taking steps, reading books, listening to seminars, setting goals, hoping for growth, yet they remain where they are. What they fail to understand is that the problem may not necessarily be lack of ability or lack of efforts, it might just be the environment. Your environment, both physical or virtual; that is social, is either feeding your growth, or it may be starving your growth.
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Environment is not just about your location, it goes even beyond that. It also includes the people you interact with on a regular basis, the information your allow, the conversation you entertain, your normal daily routines, etc. If all these do not support your growth, create positive thoughts in you, and instill discipline in you, then they may already be draining you in ways you may not even know. Have you ever seen a seed growing well in a sandy soil that does not have any manure? Even if the seed is viable and genetically engineered to be very potent, yet it will not do well in a poor soil. Sometimes, the cause of the problems of a lot of people is not that they are not capable, but simply because of their environment. You cannot grow well in an environment that contradicts your purpose.
A very potent proof that shows that you are in a starving environment is constant discouragement. It may not even come openly as criticisms, it may come subtly as negativity, jokes mocking your purpose, gossip, low expectations, etc. If you constantly stay with the people who always settle for the less, you will begin to think like them, and you may even to see your own big dreams as unreasonable and unrealistic. When this happens, you will begin to see yourself shrinking your dreams, not because they are impossible, nor because you lack the abilities to achieve them, but because your environment does not support them.
On the other hand, when you stay in a feeding environment, it will stretch you, it will sharpen your discipline, challenge your thoughts, and makes you responsible for your life. It may not always be comfortable, but at the end, it will be healthy to your destiny. Your environment should be able to support your growth, your dreams, your efforts, and your progress. As a matter of fact, your environment should make you better, otherwise you need to change it. This is not just about changing your physical location, it can just be about changing your friends, changing your circle, or changing the information you consume.
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I have a friend which just suddenly tilted towards some not-so-good attitudes. Someone who used to be hardworking, attentive to details, and used to be determined, just suddenly started becoming careless. I observed him for a while and I knew something was wrong, so I had a talk with him. It was in the course of our discourse that I discovered that he made new acquaintances which almost led him astray. I gave him some pieces of advice, and he was able to retrace his steps. The truth is, you may not be able to change the personality of your friends, but you can changed them as friends. That is, if they are not serving good, or helping you to grow, then you do not have to keep them as friends.
One of the hardest truths about your environment is that it requires a difficult decision to change it. A lot of the major undoings of many people is that they have become too comfortable with a particular environment that they do not feel the need to grow pass it. The next major breakthrough that you need might just be waiting for you to take a step and move out of your comfort zone. Always remind yourself that you are absolutely responsible for your progress. That you seek growth is not an act of selfishness, but an act of intentionality and self-care. Success does not only answer to your personal strength, but your environment has a huge part to play in it.
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