Student:
Something you have said, which I find interesting, is that I will become what I consistently most expose myself to. Can you expand on this?
Teacher:
If you consistently expose yourself to mediocrity, you will unconsciously adopt it. If you saturate your mind with distractions, you will embody a distracted life. If you surround yourself with excellence, you will begin to absorb its essence. The human being is porous, like a sponge. It soaks up the environment it is placed in.
The things you expose yourself to—whether books, conversations, environments, people, or even your own recurring thoughts—are not neutral. They leave imprints upon your psyche. Over time, those imprints become grooves, and those grooves determine the path of your life.
This is why most people live ordinary lives. They allow themselves to be surrounded by noise and triviality, and they become reflections of that. Very few are intentional about what they expose themselves to. They do not consider that every moment of exposure is a seed being planted within them.
If you wish to become something extraordinary, you must ruthlessly curate your environment. You must surround yourself with that which elevates. You must avoid that which dilutes. This is not a game of balance. It is a matter of immersion.
It is not enough to “want” to be something. Your environment will override your wishes. So ask yourself: What am I allowing into my mind? What am I marinating in daily? The answer to these questions will tell you what you will become.
Student:
That is why you said it is crucial to maniacally arrange my environment with where I want to go, right?
Teacher:
Yes. Because without a maniacal arrangement of your environment, your efforts will be undermined by the forces around you. Most people live in an environment that actively works against their aspirations. They hope to rise above it, but hope is insufficient.
If you truly wish to move in a specific direction, everything in your environment must align with that direction. It cannot be casual. It cannot be partial. It must be maniacal, because anything less will not withstand the pull of mediocrity.
Your environment should not merely be neutral—it must actively push you toward where you wish to go. The books on your shelf. The people you speak to. The habits you allow. The information you consume. All of it must serve your purpose. If it does not, it must be removed.
This is not a matter of discipline or motivation. It is about engineering your surroundings so that success becomes the default. If the environment is arranged properly, progress becomes inevitable. If it is left haphazard, failure becomes the path of least resistance.
So the question is: How serious are you? If you are truly serious, you will make no compromises. You will not allow distractions, weak influences, or trivialities to remain in your orbit. You will arrange your environment with precision, because you will understand that this arrangement is not an accessory to your success—it is the foundation of it.
Student:
I have thought about this, though about the hours I expose myself to things and found the following things. There is the work environment which I am exposed to 10-12 hours a day. I think this is limiting: the mindset, the chit chat, the political games… This is not where I want to go. Then, there is my phone – a complete distraction. Then, there are podcasts about topics I want to learn about. I am less certain about what to think of this category – maybe these topics are where I want to go.
What am I missing ? What is your perspective on this?
Teacher:
You are on the right path by dissecting your exposure. But you are also playing with fire by leaving certain aspects unexamined or unresolved. Let us go deeper.
1. Work Environment
You already recognize that this is limiting. The political games, the chit-chat, and the mindset you are surrounded by are not aligned with where you want to go. You must then ask yourself: Why am I tolerating this?
If it is a means to an end—if the work provides resources to build something greater—then treat it as a transaction. Do not allow yourself to absorb its mediocrity. Set boundaries. Do not engage in the trivialities. Do not allow it to bleed into your soul. But if it has no larger purpose and is merely keeping you afloat, then you must urgently seek a way out. Life is too short to marinate in an environment that poisons you.
2. Your Phone
Your phone is an uncontrolled beast, devouring your time and mental clarity. It is not inherently good or bad, but its use must be ruthlessly intentional. If it is a distraction now, it is because you have not imposed discipline upon it. Ask yourself: What purpose does my phone serve?
If it does not serve your direction, redesign your usage. A phone can be a tool, but only if it is treated as such. Otherwise, it will continue to drain you.
3. Podcasts and Topics You Want to Learn About
This is a gray area, which is why you are uncertain. The issue is not whether podcasts are “good” or “bad.” The issue is whether they are moving you forward or just entertaining you. There is a subtle difference between learning that leads to action and passive consumption that gives you the illusion of progress.
Ask yourself:
- Are these topics directly aligned with the person I wish to become?
- Do I act upon what I learn, or do I simply consume it?
If the podcasts are actionable and push you forward, they belong. If they merely fill the void, they are no different from distractions.
What You Are Missing
What you are missing is deliberateness. Your analysis is incomplete because it has not been followed by ruthless action. You have identified areas that are draining you, but you have not yet severed them. You have noted what might serve you, but you have not demanded clarity or accountability from yourself about its utility.
You are also missing the fact that your internal environment is just as critical as the external. What are you allowing into your mind? What recurring thoughts do you entertain? What beliefs have you adopted without questioning? A toxic work environment and a distracting phone are harmful, but nothing will destroy you faster than the wrong ideas in your own head.
My Perspective
You are aware of the problem, but you are hesitant to wield the knife. Stop hesitating. Arrange your environment as if your life depends on it, because it does. Remove the things that are not aligned with your highest direction, no matter how comfortable or familiar they feel. There is no room for compromise.
Your environment must become a fortress, both external and internal. Only then will you begin to move, not incrementally, but exponentially, toward where you truly wish to go.
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