Anything that shapes one’s thinking or behavior is a conditioning influence. A conditioning influence may originate either internally or externally. The three most common conditioning influences are the family, the social environment and personal attitudes toward mistakes and failure.
Family
We sometimes overlook the fact that we are most often conditioned by influence rather than by some overt act or pressure. Fathers, mothers, older brothers and sisters – all influence us during our childhood. Not only by example, but by words – advice, arguments, or persuasion – we form an idea of what to expect of ourselves, and unfortunately those ideas are sometimes limited in scope.
Family influence encourages some people to try a little harder, to be better, more successful and to achieve greater
things than anyone else in their family has yet accomplished. Sadly, family influence convinces others that they can never match the achievements of parents or older brothers and sisters; so they feel no motivation even to try.
A natural love for our families makes us loyal to their teachings and causes us to cherish family tradition and heritage. That can be good; but it is not always good. Such influences should be weighed in the balances of our own values, needs, and desires and subjected to our own freedom of choice.
You are the architect of whatever life you choose to build. If you are brainwashed, accepting without question the ideas and demands of others, it is only because you use your freedom of choice to allow it to be so.
Part 2 will address Social…
LMI Journal 2012
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