I think we all know that our environment has a lot of influence on us.
Whether it’s our physical spaces, our communities and the people we spend the most time with, the food we consume, or even our social media feed…our environment is powerful. The good news is that in some way, shape, or form we also have a lot of power to create our environment to be beautiful and life-giving.
In my conversation with Amy Purdy at our joint event, “Bouncing Back: Learn to Live Beyond Limits and Be Unstoppable” (you can still get access to the event here!) we talked about the importance of RELATIONSHIPS, one of the biggest impacts in our environments.
Take a look at who you spend time with.
Are the people in your life building you up or tearing you down? You can choose your people! If you are in a challenging season of marriage I urge you to hold on and fight hard to improve your relationship!!! Read Made For Wonderful Things for more about how the choices I made in relationships as a teenager still impact me to this day.
One environment that has a lot of influence is SOCIAL MEDIA.
The good news is that this should be one of the easiest areas to create your own positive environment. If there is an account that doesn’t lift you up…DELETE it! Make a simple goal to delete an account every time it brings up thoughts that you aren’t enough, don’t have enough, or simply brings you down. Boundaries with social media are SO important – especially for teenagers!
Your NUTRITIONAL environment is another area where you have control.
You purchase the food that comes into your home, so fill your cupboards and refrigerator with fresh, real, healthy food that will make you feel great! This takes self-control and intentionality, but baby steps will lead you in the right direction. Think about how you feel after you eat something and make a goal to feel better by eating better. If you are a teenager and don’t do the grocery shopping, request to accompany the grocery-shopper in your home and make healthy choices together. Choose your WHY in healthy living and keep checking in on that!
Finally, one last environment that you can create is your PHYSICAL SPACE.
Whether it is a whole house, a whole room (or even just half a room!), an office or study corner, we all know the power of creating a space that is life-giving. What do you love? What brings you joy? From pictures, to fabrics, to smells, and words…strive to put things in your physical space that encourage and enliven you, that bring you peace and calm. For me, I appreciate a clean house, so if it gets out of control I stop and pick things up and then I feel at peace in my clean space. And remember to get outside and get fresh air – your outdoor physical space is essential too!
There is a whole lot we can’t control in this life, but our relationships, social media, food, and physical spaces are four areas where we can work to create an environment that is life-giving.
