"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?"-Neal A. Maxwell
Culture plays a significant role in developing and shaping individuals. Many of us, when we think of culture, think of nationality, a belief system rooted in history and tradition, and the society around us. While these all are a part of culture, the overall definition is simply: the attitudes and behaviors that characterize social groups. This can be seen in peoples, and societies, but arguably the most influencing and powerful culture is developed within the walls of our own homes.
A family system creates, early on, attitudes and behaviors unique to a family’s experiences and personalities that influence all the members. Adults learn to relate to each other, communicate, and live together; children learn how to behave and even think as they observe what is modeled for them growing up.
That’s why it’s so important to set goals and evaluate what, for us, are the top priorities that we want emulated in our family units. What moral qualities, characteristics, attributes, and styles do we want to encourage? How do we want to influence and implement these ideals?
Part of helping us create the best environment, the most ideal culture (and the most ideal culture is different for every person), is knowing how to reach out and manage the resources available to us. Being intentional about the vision we want to aim for, setting the goals that are attainable, but make us stretch in order reach that vision, and acting on those goals can be easier said than done. However, when we are determined to make a change, we need to be willing to reach beyond ourselves and recognize that our actions will affect not just us, but those around us: our immediate family, or extended family, our community, our society etc.
It is also wise to note that within every culture, there are pros and cons. There will always be positive and negative effects. Not all cultures are created equal when it comes to meeting the needs of the individual, and the family as a whole. There are times when you will have to choose what you want at the expense of something else because man-made cultures always have ultimatums to surmount, whether foreseen or not.
For my family, keeping God at the center of what we believe and do, has been a very satisfying culture for us. We have vision that unites us and helps us become better people. As people, we are imperfect, but we are the support system that helps build each other up and encourages each other to keep trying. I know that our faith has helped us weather many things that would have been too much for us to handle by ourselves. Having a family vision, and having us all work toward that vision has, in our experience, brought us closer together and helped bring us closer to God. I will forever be grateful for my family establishing a culture of faith and decency in our home.
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