How Being in the Right Environment Changes Everything

Environment shapes everything around it. Animals adapt to their surroundings to survive. Chameleons change color to blend in, birds migrate based on weather patterns, bears hibernate, and humans evolve alongside their environments. Whether we notice it or not, environment plays a critical role in growth and survival.

The same is true in life. The people you surround yourself with, the standards that exist around you, and the overall energy of a place quietly influence who you become. Without realizing it, you adapt. You rise or shrink based on what is expected of you.

I learned the importance of environment through athletics. To be transparent, I experienced significant turbulence on my undergraduate soccer team. I began questioning myself in ways I never had before. My confidence slipped, not because my ability disappeared, but because I was in an environment where I no longer felt supported, challenged in the right ways, or believed in. It was easy to internalize that experience as personal failure.

Everything changed when I entered a new environment in graduate school. Suddenly, I was surrounded by people who pushed me, believed in me, and held high standards without tearing each other down. The shift was immediate. I rediscovered my confidence, my love for competition, and the joy of working toward something bigger than myself. That experience ultimately led to a national championship, but the achievement mattered far less than the realization behind it. I had never lost my ability. I had simply found the environment that allowed it to thrive.

This lesson extended far beyond sports. In my MBA program, I saw how the right environment accelerates growth in every direction. Conversations challenged my thinking. Peers inspired me to aim higher. Support and accountability coexisted. I learned more because I was surrounded by people who expected more, not just from me, but from themselves as well.

The right environment does not always feel easy or comfortable. Often, it feels demanding. But there is a crucial difference between an environment that challenges you and one that diminishes you. One pushes you to grow. The other slowly convinces you that you are not enough.

It made me reflect on how often we internalize struggle as a personal flaw instead of questioning the space we are in. We ask, “What’s wrong with me?” instead of, “Is this the right place for me to grow?” Sometimes the issue is not effort, talent, or ambition. Sometimes it is simply trying to become the best version of yourself in the wrong environment.

Choosing the right environment is not always easy. It often requires change, discomfort, and the courage to walk away from what feels familiar. But when you find a space where you are supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow, you are rewarded in ways you cannot predict.

Growth does not happen in isolation. It happens in spaces that allow you to expand. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is not to try harder, but to change your surroundings to better suit who you are becoming.