Culture and identity

A recent discussion on Bloom  facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Bloomcocreation, is still triggering my mind. I decided to sit down and write something about this. It concerns the cultural factor. How do we experience our own culture and how do we experience other cultures?

Currently I am living  in a very multi diverse European society and I sometimes wonder how all these different cultures interact and deal with often contradicting beliefs systems. And how did I deal with this when I lived abroad? 

Is culture a chain around your ankles holdings you back from personal growth? Or is it an opportunity to look at yourself? What parts of your own culture suits your inner self? Can you choose which parts of culture you integrate as if you were picking out clothes that suits you well? 

Do you see culture as an opportunity or rather as an obstacle for personal growth? 

I believe that culture can be as liberating as it can be restraining, it all comes down to being aware of your cultural self and making conscious decisions.  For me it comes down to being aware of how you perceive culture and how you deal with that part of you that is related and structured around cultural beliefs. Negotiating with yourself  and society at large on what parts and aspects of culture you integrate or not is a process that can be a key factor for personal growth.

It is this negotiation you have with yourself on who you really want to be that can create personal growth or not. It is your choice.  

What parts are holding you back to be the person you really inspire to be?