There are variety of thoughts.
We are subtle influenced by them.
I think family influence is very important.
For example, your religion is influenced by your parents and they were influenced by their parents.
Take me for an example, I think I was influenced by my grandfather when I was a child.
I saw him reading, so I would open a book he read, although I don't know the words.
He was good at the Chinese calligraphy, he taught me too.
I broke many his favorite brushes.
Also religion, he believed in Buddhism very much.
Anytime there are activities in the temple, he would went to help as an volunteer.
There were few monks in our little temple, so there are many volunteers in my grandfather's age went to help.
I and our family was influenced by him to believe in Buddhism, we took part in the temple activities.
But after his death, we only went the temple on and off.
My mother told me that she and my grandmother went to temple to redeem a wish recently.