Escaping From Your Negative Environment
Sometimes escaping from a negative environment may help you to develop your God-given capability. One philosopher once remarked that “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Today I am presenting an example of a very prominent figure who escaped from his negative background and left a legacy of solid principles worthy of emulation. Interesting insights were given into this man’s life and his leap into a world where he made a great name for himself despite the hostility he received from his own blood relatives and those within his social and religious community. He grew up in a small town that was classified as backward; one that seemed not to have been well known. Generally, the people who lived there were not considered very progressive in their way of thinking. When the name of the village was mentioned to someone who lived in a more upscale place, the reaction was very dismissive. The individual remarked that nothing of worth could ever emerge from that district. This young man of whom I am making reference, knew that all of his God–given capabilities could not have been fully developed within the community in which he grew up. As a result, he began to prepare his mind to leave the confines of his home, social and cultural environment that impacted his family, so that he could broaden his horizons.
From early, this ambitious youngster had a plan to be a world changer and went about it with drive and determination by closing his eyes to the narrow-minded views of those who were contented living at a mediocre level. He devised a very unique four-prong strategy to realize his goal, namely: developing his intellect, keeping physically healthy, pursuing a sound relationship with God and fostering good solid social connections.
Intellectually, he was self-motivated and very ambitious. Although early education was compulsory in his district, there is no record of his attending any of the prestigious universities of which many boasted. He never lagged behind in current affairs and his creative ideas and concepts arrested the attention of the known intellectual gurus. He never felt threatened by any of them.
Physically, he knew that keeping non-communicable and other diseases at bay was important if he was going to be healthy enough to realize his short and long term goals. He loved eating fish while daily walking and mountain climbing were two of his distinctive delights.
Spiritually, he believed that it was a mistake to lean on his own knowledge, wisdom, and understanding if he were going to be effective in life. He therefore cultivated an intimate relationship with God.
Socially, he loved people and bonded well with them wherever he went. He also became a great advocate for the underprivileged and a strong voice for the despised and rejected. Though often ridiculed, he believed that the poor and abused were to be treated as human beings and not to be taken advantage of by the high and mighty.
His remarkable achievements could not have been made possible if he did not make the commendable choice to escape from his negative environment. Upon his return to his hometown after many years, the negative mindset of those in his community had not changed. The reception he got was one of scorn, implying that he should not have left his home community to improve himself but should have been just like his siblings who remained stagnant. He couldn’t stay around too long in that undesirable environment. He left them. For him, the words from an unknown writer were relevant: “Don't let someone who doesn't know your value tell you how much you're worth.”
The young man I featured today was Jesus the founder of Christianity. The narrative is found in the Gospels according to St. Luke Chapter 2: 39-52; and Acts Chapter 1: 1-3; He continues to be my hero.
From early, this ambitious youngster had a plan to be a world changer and went about it with drive and determination by closing his eyes to the narrow-minded views of those who were contented living at a mediocre level. He devised a very unique four-prong strategy to realize his goal, namely: developing his intellect, keeping physically healthy, pursuing a sound relationship with God and fostering good solid social connections.
Intellectually, he was self-motivated and very ambitious. Although early education was compulsory in his district, there is no record of his attending any of the prestigious universities of which many boasted. He never lagged behind in current affairs and his creative ideas and concepts arrested the attention of the known intellectual gurus. He never felt threatened by any of them.
Physically, he knew that keeping non-communicable and other diseases at bay was important if he was going to be healthy enough to realize his short and long term goals. He loved eating fish while daily walking and mountain climbing were two of his distinctive delights.
Spiritually, he believed that it was a mistake to lean on his own knowledge, wisdom, and understanding if he were going to be effective in life. He therefore cultivated an intimate relationship with God.
Socially, he loved people and bonded well with them wherever he went. He also became a great advocate for the underprivileged and a strong voice for the despised and rejected. Though often ridiculed, he believed that the poor and abused were to be treated as human beings and not to be taken advantage of by the high and mighty.
His remarkable achievements could not have been made possible if he did not make the commendable choice to escape from his negative environment. Upon his return to his hometown after many years, the negative mindset of those in his community had not changed. The reception he got was one of scorn, implying that he should not have left his home community to improve himself but should have been just like his siblings who remained stagnant. He couldn’t stay around too long in that undesirable environment. He left them. For him, the words from an unknown writer were relevant: “Don't let someone who doesn't know your value tell you how much you're worth.”
The young man I featured today was Jesus the founder of Christianity. The narrative is found in the Gospels according to St. Luke Chapter 2: 39-52; and Acts Chapter 1: 1-3; He continues to be my hero.