There is a quote by a motivational speaker Jim Rohn who says that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. I sometimes do a little reflection on who I spend the most time with and how it affects me. Are these connections supporting me in a direction I want to go? How much time and energy do I invest into these connections?
I am aware of the fact that our environment is not just about our friends, family and people we surround ourselves with the most but it is also about a place we live in, the city, information we take in, people we listen to online and other choices we make everyday.
And it is up to us to clarify who we want to become and therefore what kind of environment we need to surround ourselves with in order to succeed. Awareness and self-discipline is the key. We learn about ourselves all our lives. In some areas we naturally succeed whereas we are failing in the other ones.
When I came to New York City last summer I understood right away why I felt so attracted to this place. It is known that New York City and Los Angeles are the meccas for dancers and other artists mainly because there is the music industry that rules the world. And what's amazing is that the mentors in the classes treat you like that. Once you enter a dance class, it is expected from you that you want to become a professional. There are no doubts, no questions. You showed up for the class in the mecca of dance and it means that you take it seriously. "So, you want dance for Beyonce?...then you should go and study that..." messages like this could be heard in the classrooms. Obviously, we can grow fast in these kind of environments because they are made for this. They are made for our support.
Coming from a small city in the Czech Republic where the dance is considered more as a hobby than a profession, I am very grateful that I could have this experience. I could understand myself more why I felt a bit lost when living in my city for a longer period of time because the things I wish for are not simply here. I've known it mentally but I could also experience it physically by being in the place where the things I am interested in are happening. I believe that the environment in terms of place is important, it shapes us. It changes our chemistry. We align with what and who we surround ourselves with, sooner or later.
On the other hand, I also believe that we can create a solid foundation for a succesful career and meaningful connections from wherever we are in the world, especially now when we are all connected online. However, it probably costs us more of an effort to create or maintain an environment that supports what is important to us, especially at the place where the area of our interest is not developed enough.
But beyond all of the mentioned, I undertand that the ultimate way for success is to work on our internal environment, on the things that hold us back such as limiting beliefs or self-doubts. Unless we are willing to address them and work on them we might be anywhere in the world and still feel hopeless and not be able to succeed.
May our hearts be courageous enough to do the work that takes us to places we wish for...
With Love,
Jindriska
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