048 | Transcending Location
February 8, 2021
Minute of Transparency: Missing the Podcast Life
Today's Topic: Transcending Location
In this episode:
Location. Location. Location.
Locational Impact
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Rising Above Your Location
// 1. LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION.
I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, "Location, location location."
The phrase was coined by Harold Samuel back in 1944 in the UK when starting a large property company.
But what does it mean?
Elizabeth Weintraub explains it this way:
“Location, location, location. You may have heard this mantra when talking to an agent about the home values. In a nutshell, it means homes can vary widely in value due to their location. For example, the median cost of a single-family home in Decatur, IL is $107,900. The median cost of a single-family home in the Honolulu, HI area is $813,500. Location is essential when it comes to the value of a property.”
But property value really isn't what I want to focus on in this episode.
What I'd like to do is talk about "location" in terms of people, people groups, ideas, attitudes, personalities, culture, beliefs, etc.
And ask this philosophical question: Does your location determine what kind of a person you are or will become?
Oooohh... Deep right?
In other words, can where you live make you the person you are today? For good or for bad?
Now some of you are tracking with me, but others are like, "What? You're on crack! How can your location make you who you are? Sounds a little like stereotyping to me."
So for those of you asking more questions, let me flesh it out a bit more first. Then you can decide if you're on board or not.
So the thought here is this: Depending on where you live:
You will be inundated with a unique culture
A unique set of ideas
People may have similar attitudes
There may be a socioeconomic standard
People may all do similar things
People may all drive cars that look alike
People may have the same beliefs about how far kids need to go in school
There may be political beliefs common to that location
There may be a common religious affiliation that most people accept as valid
And so on...
Starting to see what I mean?
Where you live is important! Because it is shouting these things at you all day long, every day throughout your life.
Now we'll talk more about the level of control you have over this - but for now we just need to agree that this reality exists.
Your location is a brainwashing machine if you will. A complete set of values, beliefs, attitudes and ideals that are being pushed on you every day of your life whether you like it or not.
And that's just a fact. It isn't a good thing. It isn't a bad thing. Like Andy Stanley says, "It's just a thing thing..."
In other words, it is what it is.
And the sooner we stop pretending it isn't true - the sooner we can take responsibility for our own beliefs and actions - and begin to "Transcend Our Location."
// 2. LOCATIONAL IMPACT
So by now - hopefully everyone is on the same page. We have learned that our location is unique to us - and that wherever we are - our location is telling us a story. And at times, our location is screaming that story in our ears.
But how big of a deal is it really? Let's talk impact.
There are many things that factor into your location - here are just a few:
Mental health:
Your location can actually determine your state of mental health
If you don't believe me look up Seasonal Affective Disorder (also referred to as SAD to put a blunt edge on it)
But the weather is only a small part of the mental health aspect
Based on your personality - your location can be too slow, too fast paced, too close to relatives, too far away from family, to sparse, or too densely populated, etc.
We're each different - so this impacts how our location impacts us
Medical health:
Believe it or not - your medical health can be impacted by your location
Here are two good examples:
Living in a high stress environment. Research proves that people who function with increased stress over time can develop stress related illnesses
Living in lower income neighborhoods. Research has proven that people living in these neighborhoods lack good, healthy food options. Instead - they have immediate access to fast food, and easy access to alcohol - through neighborhood liquor stores
In both scenarios your medical health is in the crosshairs
News:
Based on your location the news you consume can actually be completely different than the news in another location
This is based on the community you live in - is it liberal? Conservative? Is it urban? Rural?
This actually impacts the way news is presented and the types of stories they chase down
You can see how dramatically different news can be just by watching CNN for an hour and then switching to FOX News for an hour
Advertisements:
Along with news, you will see different advertisements based on your location
Some of this is necessary right? You aren't going to advertise an East Coast fast food chain in LA any more than you would advertise In-N-Out in South Carolina
So there's the practical side of it
But there is also advertising that is directly affected by the culture of your location
If you live in a fairly affluent area - the advertisements tend to be for higher end things
If you live in the country - you may see commercials for Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks WAY more often than commercials for Mercedes Benz, BMW or Audi automobiles
Social Media:
And this concept of selective and targeted advertising is rolled right into our use of social media
This is quickly becoming one of the most invasive forms of advertising out there
It is location-based, affinity-based, interest-based and data-based advertising
Everything you do is being tracked and that data is turned around to provide advertising that will mean something to you
I don't have the time to fully walk through this, but if you're interested...
Take 94 minutes of your life and watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224
After watching it you will never look at social media the same way again
Products/Services:
Your location will also have certain products and services available to you
Whereas, people living in other locations may not have access to these same products and services
Things like easy access to medical care
Access to mental health services
etc.
Cultural Norms:
Depending on your location certain things might be normal - whereas not so much in other places
A funny example is people getting tattoos
In California tattoos are just a thing - nobody thinks twice about seeing them on people
In the Bible Belt - not so much - in fact people with tattoos may have to cover them up for job interviews, and even keep them hidden in order to keep a job
Diversity vs. Monoculturalism:
Location can play a HUGE role in whether you embrace diversity or not
I've had the opportunity to live in both extremes:
I've lived where there were only white people
And I've lived in places where white people are in the minority
And based on my observation - people living in these two extremes have very different world views at times
And that was just a short list of things that vary based on location.
Think of the variation we see just in this country:
East coast vs. west coast
Red states vs. blue states
Urban vs. rural
Beach vs. desert vs. plains vs. mountains
North vs. south
LA vs. Chicago vs. NYC
So many unique areas where people experience different things
And that is even further compounded when you move to the global stage:
According to 1 Cover Travel, here are some national stereotypes that ring true for those who visit:
Germans drink a lot of beer
Americans are loud
Italians are passionate
The English love to talk about the weather
Russians are scary
Canadians are polite
Argentinians love steak and Diego Maradona
Jamaicans like to smoke pot
Swedish people are hot
Australians like to drink
Here is another article with 20 stereotypes - 10 that are false, and 10 that are reportedly 100% true...
But let's get back to the topic at hand...
Stereotypes are fun for a hot minute - but when we really think about it - it's sobering. What if these stereotypes are true on some level?
What do you do with that? If you're Canadian you say thank you right? As their stereotype is that they are a polite people.
But what about the pot smoking Jamaicans? And the angry Russians? Are they ok with these stereotypes?
And that begs the next question...
// 3. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?
You had to know this was the direction we were heading right?
I mean you can't just bring up this idea that your location has a HUGE impact on who you are and who you might become...and then not follow that up with the question, "So am I in the right location?" Or possibly, "Should I get out of my current location?"
Well these are loaded questions - and I'm definitely not going to be the one to tell you to move.
However, I do like the tactic NBC Universal took back in the late 80s. You remember it right? It was called The More You Know and it's still around.
https://www.themoreyouknow.com
It started as a public service initiative, focusing on education, diversity, health, civic engagement and the environment just to name a few topics.
It enlisted popular news anchors, actors, actresses, musicians and other recognizable personalities to jump on and quickly give a short snippet of truth that could inspire and change the way people thought about those topics.
I can still remember these as a child - they always seemed to pop up around the same time the official after school special was playing.
Good times...
But I do love the concept. And that's where we're going next.
I want to encourage you to learn more about your location - and the more you know - the better equipped you will be.
Because knowing is half the battle...
Now with this new information you will still have a few options:
You could move!
Or, you could choose to stay
One isn't right and the other wrong. Both are options you have
But the good thing is this: The better informed you are about your location - the better equipped you are to be there.
Our Story:
In 2015 my wife and I both agreed it was time to move away from the Midwest.
Both of us had spent the bulk of our lives there and assumed it was where we were meant to be.
But then, 8-10 years ago one of us brought it up - just to see if that was actually true. Each year we would have a similar conversation and one of us would say, "Ya, I think this is where we're supposed to be."
But in 2015, surprisingly, we both asked the same question around the same time, "Why are we living here again?"
And just as surprising, we both said, "I don't really feel like I need to stay here."
And just like that we made the decision to move. A year later we sold our home, and moved across the country to Irvine, CA. And that's the journey we've been on as a family for the past 4 years.
It's hard to fully pinpoint why we decided to move - but if I was pushed to answer I would probably offer these two reasons:
Weather: My wife had grown increasingly frustrated with the extremes in temperature. We had had a few winters in a row where something called the Polar Vortex moved in and forced temps down to -20 degrees F for days at a time. Then in the summer - it wasn't strange for it to be in the 90s with stifling humidity. Now I know, most of the country is like, "Duh - that's just life." But what we asked ourselves was this... If there are areas in our country where the temperature is more moderate - why aren't we living there? I mean if we have the choice and all?
Overly Content: The second reason is a bit more philosophical. When we talked it through - neither Tammy or I was happy. We were doing all the right things, living in the right neighborhood, working the right jobs, living near family, had out kids in the right sports and theater programs, etc. We were content because we were building a little fence of security around us and choosing not to break that bubble. But what we were finding is that our contentment was leading to stagnation. We weren't growing - just continuing along on the same path. It's worse than just realizing you're bored. It's realizing you are doing what the culture tells you is right at the expense of your dreams, your ability to experience new things and ultimately your ability to grow as individuals.
So at the end of the day, the Midwest wasn't a bad place to live. It wasn't an evil location we decided to move away from.
It was simply a location that didn't fit our goals and personalities.
And here we are...
// 4. RISING ABOVE YOUR LOCATION
So to pull this all together, I want to offer you some ideas - but for two very different scenarios:
Scenario 1: Choosing to move
If like us, you do a full inventory on your location and decide to move, here are some things to keep in mind:
Be ready for pushback. Family, friends, and those closest to you may not be very supportive
Be ready to give an explanation as to why you're leaving - and then let it rest. You won't be able to argue your point and win
Maintain your connections. Don't move, and allow that to be the end of all your relationships. Maintain them by calling, FaceTiming, taking trips home and meeting people in other areas for short vacations
Celebrate their successes from afar - either by calling or on social media - let them know you're still part of their lives
And finally - in your new location - realize the following:
You didn't just move from 100% bad to 100% good
You moved...period
Remember that there will be challenges in your new location:
There will be negative things about your new location
You take your baggage with you to your new location
The saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" is true - but in CA it’s true because the grass is fake
Real grass dies very quickly because of the heat and low humidity...
Scenario 2: Stay where you are
I think this is the most likely outcome
Most people just don't see moving away as an option
It may be because they're near family
It could be out of a fear of the unknown - or a lack of confidence in their ability to survive somewhere else
Or it could just be a lack of desire to introduce that much chaos into their lives
But whatever it is - most people hunker down and stay right where they're at
And that's fine! But what does that mean about the location issues you experience:
First things first - do an inventory of the location you're in
Create a pros and cons list, or at least identify some of the issues you face living in your environment
The good things aren't as necessary as identifying the bad things
Because it's the bad things we're going to focus on
Not that we're pessimists - just realists making sure we know how our environment could be influencing us
Now, once you know the negative things - come up with a plan of attack
How are you going to stand up to these things in your own life?
What types of things am I talking about? Well, it is everything from racism, to extreme political views, rigid religious views, drug or alcohol use, the way women are treated, people with money looking down on people without money, the divorce rate in your community, the way the community treats the environment, how your community treats the homeless, and orphans, etc.
All of these things can be vastly different depending on where you live
So the important thing is to identify them for yourself and choose what you believe about those things
Then live in such a way that you can be proud of your choices because they are your choices
You've chosen NOT to be a byproduct of your environment
Let’s Land the Plane:
As I said, my wife and I moved away from our location in the Midwest because we just felt trapped. We could see the negative impact it was having on us, our thinking and on our ability to explore and be adventurous.
However, we have friends who still live there. And in the past 5 years we've seen an interesting thing happen.
We have friends who have take steps deeper into the rhetoric and ideation of the Midwest - to the point where it is hard to listen them at times
And we have friends who are choosing every day to be different - to grow - and to make positive changes in their life and the lives of those in their community
I see this as the perfect illustration for each of us. No matter where we live - where we call home.
Ultimately, we have the choice:
“We can either allow our location to define us. Or we can help define our location.”
Thanks for choosing to spend a few minutes with us today. We love having you on the journey with us.
Before we go - just want to let you in on a little project we're working on.
I've asked my wife to join me on the podcast for a series I'm putting together on parenting.
I think I have her convinced - so we're going to sit down and work out the details. But look for that in the near future. I think it's something you will really enjoy - and hopefully find value in.
So as always, have a great week - no matter where you find yourself - and keep Transcending Human!