How your environment shapes your identity

Hiii friend 👋🏾

Before we get into it — a quick warning ⚠️

This email will require you to hold two (seemingly contradictory) truths at once.

Which, given you’re here, I’m not too worried about. Nuance, grey areas, and annoying paradoxes are the world of identity. But just in case you’re reading along thinking, “Wait... isn’t that a contradiction?” — yes, it kind of is.

Because that’s the reality of this topic, there will be a lot of yes AND.

Also, you know the deal. If you haven’t already, go grab a snack, something warm (or strong), and find your cozy spot.

It’s time for some Sunday self-exploration.

As always, I have a lesson, 3 questions and a dare for you 

[A LESSON]

I’ve been thinking a lot about environment lately.

Not the “reduce your plastic” kind (although, yes, that too), but the environment you live in.

The people you see. The places you go. The routines you’re in. Even the corners of your home that you forget exist until it’s time to clean them.

Environment holds a quiet power over us.

Depending on where you are — and who you’re around — it can either pull you forward or keep you stuck.

Ya’know…

How much easier it is to stay disciplined when you're surrounded by people with solid habits.

Or how easy it is to slip back into old patterns just by stepping into your childhood home.

That’s not an accident.

Joe Dispenza talks about how your external environment can trigger internal patterns. You wake up, check your phone, drink from the same mug (I’m very particular about my mugs), sit in the same spot, drive the same route…

…and without realizing it, you’ve unconsciously recreated yesterday.
And the day before that.
And the day before that.

You’re not lazy.
You’re conditioned.

In behavioural science, this is known as contextual cues — signals in your environment that trigger habits, thoughts, and behaviours.

If you always eat ice cream on the couch, your brain starts to associate “couch” with “ice cream.” If you’ve always played small at your job, just walking into that office can cue those old feelings, even if you’ve outgrown them.

That’s why big shifts often start to stick when we change our environment. It interrupts the loop. You stop reacting and start choosing.

So sometimes, the fastest way to shift something inside you is to change what’s around you.

BUT HERE’S THE CATCH…

➡️ Yes, environment matters.
Changing your surroundings can help break a cycle.

AND

➡️ No, it’s not a magic fix.
Because wherever you go… There you are.

(Same patterns, same thoughts, same stories, just now with better lighting.)

Because yes, a change of environment can definitely make space for something new, but change won’t last unless you pair it with intention.

Because you can move to Bali and still procrastinate.
Start a new job and still people-please.
End a relationship and still carry the same self-doubt into the next one.

If you want real transformation?

Here’s the combo move:

🌀 Change the cue and change the pattern.
🌀 Shift the setting and do the work.
🌀 Explore the world and explore yourself.

Because the identity work is what helps you notice your patterns.

To stop assuming your reactions are just “who you are”, and start getting intentional about who you want to be.

Sometimes, that is as simple as working backwards. Spending 10–15 minutes getting into your body and tuning into those internal nudges pulling you toward growth.

Getting clear on who you’re being called to become… your favourite version of you. Then, asking: What would their day-to-day look like in this new environment?

Because when you’re in a season of change, you have the luxury of space and the rare opportunity to shape something new on purpose.

Speaking of new environments and seasons of change….

It brings me to a little life update…

We’re moving to Japan in a couple weeks (!!) eeeeeeeek!

It’s a big shift, and I’m genuinely excited to see how it stretches the parts of me I’ve been meeting through this identity work.

Not because I expect to become a whole new person, but because I know how powerful it is when a new environment meets deep intention.

And still — I’m not putting all my eggs in the “new country, new me” basket.

Because the real work doesn’t just happen out there.

It happens in here.

Which is why the most profound transformation? Always requires both.

[3 QUESTIONS ]

1. If your home, routine, or workspace had a voice, what would it say about who you are right now? Would it be right?

2. What’s one environment that brings out the best in you?

3. What’s one object in your space that holds an old story you’re ready to rewrite?
   (e.g. A gift from someone you’ve outgrown? A book you’ve never read? A pair of jeans that no longer feel like you?)
   

[A DARE]

This week, I dare you to:

Make a conscious environmental shift.

Big or small. Temporary or permanent.

Try:

• Rearranging your workspace to feel more energizing

• Going on your daily walk in a totally new direction

• Spending time with people who mirror who you want to be, not just who you’ve been

Don’t just hope for change.
Design for it.

Set up your space — and your life — to support the person you’re becoming.

[COMMUNITY BOARD]

Take yourself on a guaranteed good date.

Actually make the changes, you say you want

I have 2 private coaching spots remaining for September. This is for those of you who are done spinning in circles and ready to make a meaningful shift.

In these 6-week 1:1 sessions, we’ll rebuild the foundation — your values, beliefs, and core identity patterns, so that stepping into your next chapter stops feeling like a fight… and becomes inevitable.

Let this week be your reminder:

Environment matters. But intention matters more.

Change the cue, do the work, and keep exploring.

See you on a Sunday,

L

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