Looking back, I felt that growing up, my immediate family was a toxic influence to me and I needed to surround myself with different people who could inspire me.

• My dad, who passed away in 2020 and although a man who served in the military and won many awards, was a man who frustrated me a lot. He was a very short-tempered individual who insisted on alcohol before bed because he did not believe in therapy and that medications could alter his critical thinking abilities. He did not eat a healthy diet, and made excuses of not exercising because his job in HR was so draining for him as an introvert. He never quit his job because the salary was good, but he complained often about his job. I rarely felt comfortable with him and my behavior was always forced and contrived around him so prevent him from exploding in anger.
• My mom was a stay at home wife who primarily raised my sister and I. Whenever I complained to her about my dad, she always told me "I know it's hard to deal with him, but just remember he is working hard for the money to support all of us" as if to excuse her behavior. She spends too much time complaining about the weather and the news and prefers to use most of her time watching TV or the news than doing something I think would be more inspiring (learning a language, exercising, learning an instrument).
• My sister who is one year older than me, still lives with my mom and has not had a job in 2 years since graduating from college. She plays video games all day and although she works out, recently quit drinking and just started therapy, she eats junk food all the time and no fruits and vegetables.

I felt like throughout my childhood and even now, I had to distance myself from my family and surround myself with better people, people who could inspire me (my high-achieving college friends, my high school physics teacher, my undergrad professors). How normal and valid is this?