Don’t let the environment change you, change how you see the environment. This was my message to my riders that took my spin class the other day. I always add a motivational comment into my ride because I feel like as a teacher, I have the gift to change how someone else's day goes all based off of what I say in class. 

 

Let’s talk about this quote though. What does it even mean? In short, it means to not let the environment or things you cannot change in the world, change you. Too often, we get caught up in trying to live a perfect life that we forget who we are as an individual. I’d like to switch gears here real quick and bring up another metaphor (I like metaphors because they make good comparisons). This one just fits the topic well. A skyscraper. Not the Demi Lovato song version, but an actual skyscraper in the sky (although she makes good points and good comparisons). I’m talking about the ability that a skyscraper has to stay in the same, mint condition regardless of the weather, the environment, storms or sunny days, people that touch it, go inside or leave,  it always stays looking beautiful. This relates to my post so well I had to use it. If you think about it, and I mean really think about how strong of a foundation a skyscraper has. It can handle earthquakes and major environmental changes and even more importantly, it stays rooted in itself and stays standing tall.

 

First off, a key part of a successful building is the foundation. Have you ever been told to find yourself before allowing outsiders to influence you, to find your roots? Now it’s time to compare a massive, strong skyscraper to a tent. Obviously there are more dissimilarities than what similarities they really do share, kind of like people in the world. You can easily tell the difference between a well built person and one who relies on everyone else to make them stand up. This is important. That skyscraper you see and you probably will see for many years has a strong, cemented foundation for itself, as you should as well. Alternately, a tent will not stand longer than a few days, possibly a week if you really put some work into setting it up. But not long lasting. 

 

To put this into perspective, if you rely on other people for your happiness, your strength, your ability to stand up, then your foundation, your happiness, has the ability to easily be taken away or knocked down. It is easy for the environment to, with one gust of wind, blow your tent over and then you have to continuously try to rebuild it. The same thing goes for expectations. If you expect others to build your tent for you and make it stand for a while, how can it ever be perfect and able to endure anything that comes your way? Believing that others will build your tent with a strong base is what causes it to be knocked down the fastest. However, if you want to build this magnificent skyscraper that has a strong foundation and is seen by everyone to withstand anything, then you choose to lay the blueprint down yourself first before others are welcome to see. 

 

A tent can go up in one night, but a skyscraper takes time. We all started out as a simple tent, but with mistakes and the environment knocking us down, lessons were learned and advancements were made to start building a real, concrete foundation. A single strong foundation can inspire others to build theirs right behind you. When you go to a city and see all of the beautiful skyscrapers, there are multiple and they all share a strong foundation. You remember them. Find them beautiful and original. You couldn’t buy it, find the same one, or one that looks the exact same, anywhere. That is what makes them so articulate, beautiful and inspiring. A tent can be bought at almost every convenient store and it doesn’t share the same beauty as a tower. Each tower cannot be duplicated and the second versions if they have been, will never equal the original. You have to learn what parts are necessary to build your tower and leave the campground behind. It all starts with finding your foundation in this life, your passion and drive that will allow you to excel and be unstoppable in your mind.

 

The environment you are in should not be given the opportunity to knock you down, discourage you, make you feel like you’re a failure, no. You change how the environment affects you instead. You have the power to let people inside of your skyscraper or not, your own positive or negative thoughts included, and I would hope you choose the ones that want to help you build it up even more. A tent is limited, there is no adding on when it’s foundation and structure is not solid nor secure. A skyscraper though, there is always room for growth and expansion because the foundation is there.

 

Now I want you to put this all into perspective. Do you feel as though you rely on people for your happiness? Do you need constant approval for the height of your tower? More significantly, are you living your life for you and what you need? Maybe you are starting the construction today, maybe you are building currently, maybe you’re at a content height and, of all three possibilities, I hope you are or if you have that solid foundation then keep building. It shouldn’t stop once you reach the top, keep finding new aspirations and inspirations, new friends, new connections, new hobbies. Keep making new life experiencing.

 

Others will see your tower and try to knock you down, the environment may try to change your design, interior, exterior, but if the foundation is there, then so are you. Use your heart in a way that people will see is yours not what someone else created. Have the strength to go through multiple trials, be let down, lose what you thought was good in order to build your solid foundation. People who love you and want to see your success will build you up, not because you depended on them to get there, but because you can both see each other from the top.