It’s often said that we become like the people we spend the most time with… and in my experience this is true… But it’s not just the people – it’s everything around us. The books we read. The content we absorb while online. The conversations we engage with. The spaces we work and live in.
Our environment is either lifting us up, or holding us back. And the wildest past? Most of us don’t even realise it!
That’s why on today’s episode of I Love Me The Podcast, we’ll be exploring how you can tweak your environment for success and greater self-love:
- How to surround yourself with people who expand you into your potential…
- Why your physical space influences your mindset more than you might think…
- And how small shifts – like the content you consume and the habits you build – can create massive change in your life.
For when you change your environment, you change your reality.
Let’s talk about our environment.
Not just the trees and air we breath, but the spaces we live in, the people we surround ourselves with, and the influences that shape our thoughts and behaviours.
For many of us go through life believing that our success, happiness and self-worth come down to willpower – that if we just try harder, push more, or hustle longer, we’ll get to where we want to be.
But the truth is…
Our environment plays a massive role in determining our success.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but not making progress, like you’re constantly hitting a wall or feeling drained by negativity, it might not be a motivation problem.
It might be, an environment problem.
Think about it…
Have you ever left a conversation feeling totally energised and inspired?
Or the opposite – felt completely drained and uninspired after spending time with certain people?
Have you ever walked into a cluttered space and felt stressed, or into a beautifully designed room and instantly felt calm and productive?
Well…
That’s your environment at work.
An environment that is constantly shaping how you feel, your behaviours, your decisions and even the trajectory of your life.
Our environment is either helping us break free from the limiting beliefs we currently hold, or reinforcing them.
Now if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that, in order for us to change what’s happening in our life, we need to change our beliefs.
I go into detail on this in Episode 2: Programmed for Love.
So it makes sense then, that placing ourself in an environment that supports us in upgrading our beliefs, to ones that match the goals we have, will be supportive of us creating long-lasting change in our life.
What I’m saying is….
If we want to thrive, we have to intentionally shape our environment to support the life we want.
And to help you do this, we’ll break this down into three key areas:
People, information and physical space.
Let’s start with the people you spend time with, because this is one of the biggest factors in our overall success and levels of self-love.
When we spend time with someone it leaves an impression on us.
If the person we hang out with is positive, driven, and inspiring, then we’re more likely to adopt those qualities.
We leave that interaction feeling uplifted.
Enlivened.
Inspired to take the next steps on our self-loving path.
But if the person we’re interacting with is negative, likes to gossip a lot, or lacks ambition, that kind of energy can drag us down.
It’s almost like this person is giving us permission to stay where we are in life.
To indulge in the struggle.
We may start to think: If that’s their experience of life, then that’s just how life must be.
This person may even rain on our happy parade, and criticise our big ideas or plans for the future, which can make us doubt ourself.
So I simply invite you now to take a moment to consider:
Who in your life uplifts and inspires you?
And on the flip-side…
Who in you life drains your energy or keeps you stuck in old patterns?
Pause this episode now to feel into these two questions, or set some time aside later to really contemplate this.
And don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to completely cut the more negative people out of your life.
Many of these people will probably be family members.
You simply want to have clear awareness of how these people can make you feel, and then maybe you limit the time you spend with them, or make sure you do some self-loving practices before and after seeing them, so you’re less likely to get knocked off centre when you’re around them.
There are so many practices that could help you with this, on this podcast.
Here are some of my favourites:
Using Relationships as a Mirror.
Get rid of anxiety in 2-minutes!
And so you want to bolster yourself with your self-loving practices when in these people’s presence, all the while expanding your circle of influence.
Choose to spend more time with the people who reflect the kind of life you want to live.
And if you don’t yet have those people around you, seek them out!
Join communities or groups that align with your values… take up a new hobby or class you’ve always wanted to do…
Follow people online who inspire you – read their books – listen to their podcasts, yes this podcast is just one way of shaping your environment so you feel more inspired to practise self-love.
Build relationships with those who encourage your growth.
What I will say, is that if you’re feeling stuck, or if you’re life isn’t all peaches and cream, then chances are you will need to step out of your comfort zone, and meet new people.
I have a whole episode on stepping out of your comfort zone, if that sounds scary for you; it’s Episode 17.
We tend to be the average of the people we surround ourself with.
An easy way to measure this is when we look at finances.
If you looked at your five closest people, and added up their financial worth – you’d probably be the average of those five people’s totals.
So if you’re feeling stuck in life, chances are you’re engaging in relationships that match where you’re at, not where you want to head.
That’s why welcoming new people into your life, is so important.
It’s something I get all of my one-on-one clients to do, because it stops old beliefs we’ve cleared from creeping back in, it helps lock in the new beliefs my clients adopt that are more aligned with the goal they want to achieve, and it propels them forward at an accelerated pace.
Yes, changing your environment, is like the shortcut to getting to where you want to be.
Because the more time you spend with people who inspire and uplift you, the more you take on their beliefs and ways of doing life.
It’s like they bolster you as you step into the unknown, so when the self-doubt creeps in, you have these people to support you in staying on track.
For when you’re surrounded by people who believe in you, and believe in the possibilities of life, you start believing in them too.
And we can apply this to all areas of our life.
For instance, if you wanted to learn French, if you spend all your time with people who speak English, then you never get any French practice.
But if you surround yourself with French friends, then you’ll have countless opportunities to practice and improve your French.
Next, we have the information you consume.
Our mind is constantly absorbing information – through the conversations, books, podcasts, social media and news we take in.
So the question you want to ask yourself is:
What am I feeding my mind?
If you’re constantly consuming fear-based news, toxic social-media – that makes you compare yourself to others – or mindless entertainment, your thoughts will reflect that.
But if you fill your mind with books that expand your thinking, podcasts that inspire you into action, and conversations that challenge you to grow, your entire perspective shifts.
As your perspective shifts, so too do your results shift.
This is why I encourage you to take some time to consider ‘what’ you’re consuming on a daily basis, and whether that information or content is supporting you in moving forward.
Maybe swap scrolling on social media first thing in the morning, for reading an inspiring book.
Replace negative self-talk with uplifting affirmations.
I share a really helpful tool on how to edit your self-talk in Episode 13.
And listen to uplifting podcasts – like this one – while driving, instead of listening to the radio.
Really get selective about what you’re taking in each day, and make the tweaks you need, so that your environment is supportive of you living a more aligned, and on purpose life.
Because remember…
The information you consume shapes your beliefs, and your beliefs shape your reality.
Last of all, we have our physical space.
Our external world has a direct impact on our internal world.
A cluttered space can lead to a cluttered mind.
A bright, open, and organised space can boost creativity and productivity.
Now, you don’t need a mansion or a perfect aesthetic – just small, intentional shifts that make your space feel good for you.
That’s all you need.
Simple ways of doing this are:
Decluttering.
Get rid of anything that doesn’t support the life you want.
I recently did a massive wardrobe clean-out, because I realised that a lot of the clothes I was storing in there – some of which I bought over 20 years ago – just didn’t reflect who I am now, or who I’m becoming.
The person I want to show up as, who is a more aligned version of myself.
So start by decluttering.
Then add things that bring you joy…
Candles, uplifting quotes, hand-painted canvases…
The wiser I grow, the more I want to connect with nature, and so I’ve invited lots of plants into my home.
Simply because when it’s too wet and wooly outside, it means I can feel good while working inside, because I still have nature around me.
Finally, designate a space just for your own personal growth…
A cozy reading nook, a meditation corner, a vision board wall, or a mini library complete with those uplifting books.
The goal here, is to create a physical environment that makes you feel safe, supported and inspired.
It’s a place that feels like home.
The beautiful thing about our environment is that we can change it.
Small, simple steps…
Go out and meet someone new.
Borrow an uplifting book from the library.
Clear off your desk or bench at home, and put a pot plant there.
Start there.
And expand as you feel ready.
The important thing is…
If you’re feeling stuck, uninspired, or like something isn’t working in your life, take a step back and ask:
Who am I spending time with?
What information am I feeding my mind?
Is my space supporting the person I want to become?
Because when you intentionally shape your environment, everything starts to shift.
So, surround yourself with inspiration.
Seek out people who elevate you.
Choose information that empowers you.
And create a space that reflects the life you want to live.
Because at the end of the day, you don’t just adapt to your environment – you create it!
And that’s where he magic happens.
If you’d like to dive deeper into ways of changing your environment, and why this is so very very important to living a life of your choosing, take a peek at my online school gettingnaked.com.au
I have a program there called Remarkable Relationships, which gives you the 5-step formula for creating change in all areas of your life – so you can live a more expansive, self-loving life.
And one of those steps – is Environment.
Interestingly, if there’s one action people don’t take when they’re looking to create change, that trips them up, it’s NOT changing their environment, to support everything else they’re doing.
So feel free to take a peek at that program, and know that if you do enrol, that a percentage of profits go to planting trees, so together we can re-robe Mother Earth.