What is our environment? In simplest terms, it’s everything around us. The air, water, food, buildings, noise, people, animals, and much more make up our environment. No two environments are the same. Similar as they may be, no one lives in our house, goes to our work, or sets at our desk at the exact time we do. So, one could conclude that environments are unique as fingerprints.

Does our environment affect who we are? To a degree, the answer is yes. If we work nights, then our sleep may be compromised by the bustling world around us. Air pollution may play havoc with our ability to breathe. Our diet may be affected by our choice of eating fast food everyday. So, yes, our environment can have a huge effect on us. But, does it change who we are? Will these attributes make us less kind? Will we be ill tempered? It is up to each of us how we act and react to our environment. If our work has a negative effect on us, then we need to find a new job. If the people around us are not good quality, then we need to change who we associate with. Notice that we did not say we will have them correct who they are. Everyone is not compatible with everyone. We need to find those we enjoy.

What if we cannot move from a bad environment, what do we do? Never give up. Identify what makes our environment bad. Bad water needs a filter, noisy environment needs ear plugs, and our bad attitude needs changing. Yup, you hear me. The last one was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I had to face the fact that life is exactly how I see it. Whether we believe life is terrible or we believe life is grand, we are correct. We will see exactly what we focus on. Focus on the heartaches and aggravations around us, and that is what we will see. Life has so much good to offer us. It is up to us to recognize and seize it. We need to stay in control of our attitude. Do not allow others to control our attitude.