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!


1 comment


  • A 20:00-06:00 curfew has been announced in Miami Beach and will remain in effect for at least 72 hours.
    Traffic restrictions are in place during the curfew, while businesses in the busy South Beach area must close.
    Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said thousands of tourists had brought “chaos and disorder” to the city.

    RonaldCox on

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