Sometimes we don’t realise how much our environment affects us; our thoughts and our behaviour.
By environment I mean, our physical environment, in our homes, our areas, our work, our relationships.
Having moved recently, from a busy metropolis to the calm, peaceful seaside, it’s a stark reminder of just how much our environment can affect us either positively or negatively. But we can build a positive environment around us.
For example, in our new seaside home, I am excited about what this will open in me, creatively, spiritually, with new thoughts and ideas, new ways of living and working in more peace.
Being attuned to our environment is important, so that we can get the full benefits from it and so that we can avert how it could be affecting us negatively.
Our environment can stop us reaching our potential and affect our destiny.
Here are some tips on how to evaluate and attune yourself to your environment’s positive benefits:
Tip 1 – Follow your energy
Whatever energises you in your environment follow that, increase that, maximise that! Staying in, going out, being around certain people, allowing yourself space, whatever energises you do that. This follows for visually how you set up your environment, for routines, your behaviour and for how you live and interact with your environment. Create and live in your environment in a way that brings you energy and peace. Choose places to be, to work, to play, that energise you, not the opposite. How can you tell what energises you and what does not? Simple! Just regularly be mindful and tune in. Ask yourself; How do I feel after this? How do I feel here? What is this space giving me?
Tip 2 – Find places where connection with God is easier
Where is God here? How do I connect with Him here? For me being by the sea works amazingly! For each of us there are special places in the world where the veil feels thinner, where it just seems easier to connect with God there. Find your special places. It could be that simply being in a specific spot at home or in the park works for you.
Tip 3 – Create Positivity
You can work with your room layout, placing key pieces around you, paintings, colours or other items that bring life, positivity and energy to you. Eg, Key scriptures that you know keep you motivated and positive or items that remind you of the kindness of God and others. You could use items that act as reminders of blessings that have been on your life (a particular trip, job, person or something else that instantly makes you know you are blessed)
Tip 4 – Research the history and destiny of a place
In a season of my life, I felt annoyed about an area I was in, and had to be in. A friend kindly pointed out amazing things in the history of that area which encouraged me to be on the very ground I was on because of what had happened there. The Bible talks about land holding significance and land being healed. Land has destiny as well as us and tapping into its history can help you see what it’s destined for. You can then be a part of bringing it forth. God has placed you where you are, in a particular place and He has given you authority in that place over that very land. There are also anointings in certain places which God may be wanting you there to receive an impartation of.
Tip 5 – Become aware of cultural influences
Each of us was born into a particular culture, some into Western Democracy, like the UK, USA, or European countries, others are born in Eastern cultures. The influences from our respective cultures are significant. Knowing what’s specific about your culture, the one you grew up in and the one you live in, helps you to not be under it, but to be able to rise above it. It will help you also to tap into the positives it gives you. There will be both positive aspects of your culture and negative ones. Studying cultural differences and what God thinks of them, helps us to develop an awareness of true kingdom culture where we are. It frees us up to be different and to break free where we have the opportunity to.
Tip 6 – Expose yourself to variety
It’s important to not get stuck in just one type of environment, with just certain types of people. Our thinking can become narrow if this is so. The opportunity to experience variety comes in many different ways; maybe spending time in both the city and country, developing acquaintances and friendships with types of people you wouldn’t normally (e.g. not having all Christian friends, or friends from just work or church, being around creative people or people that are professional if you don’t often do this). Even just being in different places in one town, which have different ambiences can help to keep your brain healthy and to keep you more open minded.
Being aware of what our environment is and how it can affect us helps us to shift what needs to shift, and to tap into the greatest potential our environment offers us. It therefore helps us to fulfil more of our destiny and potential.