Is Your Environment Stimulating or Blah?

Have you ever seen the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic?

Without giving away too many spoilers, Rebecca Bloomwood has a serious shopping addiction. Stilettos, handbags, silk scarves, and oh so much more have left her drowning in debt. To help make ends meet, she lands a job as a journalist for a finance magazine. Ironic, right?

As it turns out, Rebecca has a gift for making personal finance understandable and relatable for everyday people. Her career begins to take off, and she makes a name for herself in the industry. Can you guess what happens next?

While she's still drawn to the finer things in life, her shopping addiction begins to lose its grip. Why?

She found a new purpose in a new environment!

I am in no way, shape, or form claiming that finding a new purpose or a new environment is the solution to addictive behaviors. However, the fictional story of Rebecca Bloomwood has been echoed by other thought leaders.

On the Bossticks podcast, bestselling author Roxie Nafousi shared her story of drug addiction. She explained that after becoming pregnant with her first child, she began to "brainwash herself with self-development." After fully immersing herself in the work of thinkers and philosophers, she noticed a common theme: the power of the mind can shape the reality, or environment, we experience.

So, she started asking herself: How can I find purpose, change my environment, and build a future for myself?

She found purpose in helping others overcome the same struggles she had faced and, most importantly, in being of service to others.

Roxie also vulnerably shared that she used drugs again. But this time, it wasn't as good as she remembered.

Then, she referenced one of my favorite studies: the Rat Park experiment.

In essence, researchers found that when rats were living in isolation and given access to morphine-laced water or regular water, they almost always chose the drug, overdosed, and died quickly.

However, when rats were given the opportunity to live in "Rat Park", a rat-like paradise filled with other rats, food, colors, and activities, they were far less likely to consume the drug than rats housed in isolation.

Why?

They had purpose, connection, and a fulfilling environment!

This idea was echoed again during a conversation between Lewis Howes and Emily McDonald. During the interview, Emily suggested that physically moving to a new location can be one of the most effective ways to change your circumstances because changing your external environment can make it easier to create internal change, too.

So, is your environment stimulating and energizing, or... blah?

This is your opportunity to be like Rebecca Bloomwood and take inventory of your closet. Just in this case, your closet is your whole life.

Personally, moving from a loft in a bustling downtown to a quiet neighborhood has been less energizing and stimulating than I expected. After taking my own inventory, I realized that I thrive in a higher-energy environment where I can walk to a coffee shop and hear car horns from my bedroom window. That's part of my happy Rat Park.

What does your happy Rat Park look like?

Now, go create your own paradise.

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Find one thing that brings you joy today.