| Growing up in South Boston definitely had a great | | | | After about 6 months of attending this new school and |
| influence on my life. As I entered my teenage years, I | | | | living in this new neighborhood, I found myself once |
| began to identify with my surroundings more and more. | | | | again wearing new clothes and listening to different |
| I found myself wearing certain clothes, listening to | | | | music. It was almost like this society which surrounded |
| certain music, and even the vocabulary I | | | | me was really the deciding factor in those things I |
| communicated with was not my own. Rather, it was | | | | would desire. It is kind of like if you are with ten people |
| something that was impressed upon me from my | | | | who all enjoy poetry, you begin to find an interest in it |
| peers. | | | | as well. |
| | | | | |
| This society that I lived in made a great impact on | | | | As an adult, I learned the reason for this. The wisdom |
| even my outlook on life. The people I associated with | | | | of Kabbalah explains that all of our actions are the |
| did not have any aspiration to attend college when | | | | result of either our genetics or the environment that |
| they graduated High School, so I found going to college | | | | surrounds us. We have no control over our genetics, |
| less attractive. Even though my parents pushed me | | | | and as children, we have very little control over our |
| toward higher learning, they were not as effective as | | | | environment. As we age, however, there is one factor |
| the influence of my peers. The reason for that is | | | | where we can make a choice: which society will we |
| simple. I spent more time with my peers and I held | | | | place ourselves in and allow to influence us? |
| them in high regard. Therefore, I valued their opinions | | | | |
| more when it came to the things that mattered most | | | | Whether we like it or not, the society will create in us |
| to me. | | | | certain desires for those things that are valued by the |
| | | | | society in general. So if you are a scientist and want to |
| When I was a sophomore in High School, my life took | | | | be influenced by great scientific thinkers, then the best |
| a sharp turn. My Father landed a good paying job and | | | | place to go is a place where there are others with the |
| within no time, my parents started looking for a house | | | | same ambitions in life. Likewise, if you aspire to be a |
| in the upper middle class part of town. Sure enough, | | | | musician, you will probably choose not to associate |
| before I started my Junior year we had settled into a | | | | with scientists but with other musicians. |
| new home on the opposite side of town and the | | | | |
| people and surroundings felt very strange to me. | | | | If we recognize the power of this choice, then we can |
| | | | | use it to help us achieve our goals in life. If you are |
| When I started school that fall, the first thing I noticed | | | | struggling to reach your goals, take a look around you. |
| was that everyone wore different clothes and listened | | | | Do others value that same goal? If not, where can you |
| to different music. I thought to myself, “Great. Now I | | | | find others with similar aspirations? If you can do that, |
| am surrounded by the people I once made fun of.” I | | | | you will be immeasurably closer to achieving your |
| went further and believed that there was no way I | | | | dreams. In the long run, making a conscious choice |
| would ever dress like them or listen to the same music. | | | | about your environment is the first and most important |
| | | | | step towards changing yourself. |