Yes, fortunately we can break the cycle and it's really impressive he was able to do that.
Usually it takes a good proactive thinker to break away from cycles that their environment and situations strap them to. If one doesn't reflect on life, think about the things they have a high tendency and seem predisposed to do and then decide to make conscious effort to change a couple of things they would keep going around living according to the dictates of their upbringing.