YOU ARE NOT A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT.

Then I am to immediately start by saying it does have a huge impact on who you are and what you do, if you let it. If have read or know about Nelson Mandela you will understand what I am talking about (choosing his mind set each day while being in prison). 
I grew up in the lower middle class suburbs of south east Melbourne. No real dreamers, doers or anything exciting. Marrying your best mates ex girlfriend, finish and stay in the trade you started at 17, struggle to make ends meet for the rest of your life. That kind of thing. 

So I am not sure why I had the urge to move to the top end of the country, gold coast, but I did and it had a huge impact on who I was and what was important to me. Not because that is what was important to me, but because that is what was important to everyone else. As I thought I had life figured out, have the nicest house , car , girlfriend - all being indicators your doing great in life. I discovered Thailand and realised that I had it all 'wrong'. 

After coming back and forth from this magical place for some several years I decided to move there. Which made my care free eastern philosophy look on life change - the same 'stress' I had left in the west had followed me, but it had transformed from working Monday to Saturday, over priced power bills, keeping the appearance of success to a different kind of stress - worrying about where my income would come from , how was I going to stay in the country visas etc, and then bribing corrupt authorities here and there (going back to making more money) realising I hadn't had it all figured out, again. Every country , every lifestyle , every philosophy you choose to live by or live in - all comes with stresses and challenges. Which is why looking after your mind and body is essential to deal with what life can deal you out. 

While either on holiday or living there people would always say to me, you look happy, or you look at peace, and well I was or did. At times. But I was also occasionally happy in the beach side suburb of Frankston. I just didn't have any social media to document the 'ideal life' 10+ years ago. 
What I am getting at is , whereever you live , whatever your culture, it is going to effect you and shape you in some way - and it's important to become aware of this. You can do that by visiting other places and seeing what suites you the best. 

I am a big believer you should live where you enjoy, some people like the cold, some people like the beach side lifestyle - and there is no reason why you can't be where you want to be. Then there is the behaviour side of things - I didn't want to marry someone called Sharon and have two kids in Melbourne, but I also didn't like the behaviour I saw from people to maintain 'the dream' in Thailand - and I could tell you some stories. 

All while the world watches each other through various platforms, and as people tell me I seem to becoming increasingly happier or spiritual or what ever describing word that see at the time. What I have learnt it is not from any particular place or any material thing that I own - yes they can contribute to a better life. But it has come down to understanding who I am, and living how I want to live, the best way I can according to values, morals, and goals. And the answer is going to be different for everyone of us. 
So if like me, you had the car, place, girl and were still empty. Find someone who is living like you want to , or is at least happy , and try out their world , move, change job , change behaviour or like I mentioned at the start read up on Nelson Mandela mindset. (just choose to be , happy, staunch, peaceful etc)

Because most of the time people usually live where they do purely because that's where they were born , and they act , dress and talk that way. Simply because everyone else around them does. 'The dream' , happiness, it comes and goes and this is my experience with it from people who watch my social media and question why do I seem different to most people. 

But this blog has probably raised more questions then answered them. 

God Speed