Many of the behaviors, habits and thinking we possess are the result of the different cultures we are raised in. We are taught to think, feel and act by our culture. Without knowing it, we are literally doing things, saying things, responding to things and thinking things due to our culture.
There are many cultures you are exposed to during your lifetime. There are religious cultures, country cultures, town cultures, neighborhood cultures, family cultures, work cultures, high school cultures, college cultures, etc.
Each one of these cultures influences the habits you forge during your life. Some of these cultural habits are good, conditioning you to become thrifty or moral or compassionate. Some of these cultural habits are bad, conditioning you to spend money frivolously, go into debt, or do things that are deemed offensive in other cultures.
As I’ve mentioned many times, habits spread like a virus within your social networks. Awareness is the most powerful tool available to stop bad habits in their tracks and replace them with good habits. Through awareness, you are able to identify those bad habits that are creating an unhappy life.
When we know what those bad habits are, we can re-program ourselves by eliminating them and forging good habits.
Surrounding yourself with others who have the habits you desire, can remove the cultural conditioning that gave you some bad habits you’d like to eliminate, in order to improve you life.
For example, you can join a local gym and expose yourself to the good exercise habits of others at the gym. You can join groups such as Weight Watchers and adopt their good eating habits. You can join a reading club and adopt their good reading habits. You can find a company which promotes self-improvement and personal growth and adopt their good personal development habits.
Once you know which habits you want, it’s just a matter of finding an environment which fosters those good habits.
The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your habits. You have only one life. Make sure you surround yourself with those who help make that life exceptional.
