We all are incredibly focused on ourselves. Now, don't go jumping down my throat as I say that. I know that somewhere along the way, the idea of focusing on ourselves has started to carry a negative connotation, but it is a necessary part of life. We rush from place to place, and we never really just stop and smell the roses. We walk by each other asking the question "What's up?", not pausing to hear the answer. The QOL Project does. Sophomore at Villanova University (and my fellow okie), Grant Carter, is the creator of the project, and he asks the question, but sticks around for the answer.

As I write this, Grant has interviewed and posted the stories of 48 people. By the time my article is published, there will likely be more. I've read each one as they've come out, and I strongly recommend that you do the same. Below I will give you just a glimpse of each of the stories, and hopefully you will be moved to continue to follow this awesome movement.

Ellie Donohue- "I want to have as much impact as I can."

Sam Zintl- "Every experience is critical to my development as a holistic person"

Maddy Sullivan- "The last thing I want to do is stay in the same place, with the same people."

Siobhan Merrill- "It's not fair to enter another person's life and tell them what kind of help they need- it's important to listen and consider their actual situation."

Liam Hudson- "t's made me question myself less and helped me not to be so dependent on what other people say or think about me."

Ben Jaeger- " It's not my responsibility to have assumptions; the most important thing is to listen."

Kate McMahon- "I'm an open book in a society that doesn't like to read. 'That's cool' is what most people say, but it's lonely.""

Logan Sitkin- "Right now I'm looking for more ways to celebrate the good things I already have."

Emily Oliver- "I always thought that dream seemed so unrealistic, but now the the unreal is becoming the real."

Chris Bondoc- "The most important thing to me right now is just knowing that everything is going to be alright eventually, even if it's not the way I expect."

Megan Amico- "I know more about myself right now than I ever have, and a big part of that is because I have learned to be present even in those in-between moments."

Ian Fraser- "Living life fully for me is living without worry, and satisfying happiness over greed. If I could work that into relationships, I would be happy."

AJ Bixby- "My friendships are especially important to me right now. I have always valued them, but i have been hesitant to open up to people for a lot of my life."

Ryan Mastromarino- "Embrace change. Entering an experience expecting to know exactly what it's going to be like defeat the purpose"

Briana Daugherty- "I feel like I have a second chance at life and all the time in the world."

Tim Long- "I also know that I am much more comfortable now with letting things pass by, because I think a great part of life requires us to be passive, to proceed without needing to possess anyone or their love."

Leah Fitter- "I've been obsessed by the idea becoming bilingual for a long time, and now more than ever, I see it's because this skill is a tool for touching more people's lives outside the realm of the English speaking, a way to make others feel, as I heard in West Virginia, 'loved and listened to.'"

Rachel Smith- "People are always a priority to me, so I hope my future is one of inspiring others to have that same outlook."

Charlotte Serage- "These experiences have been thrilling for the time being and I'll always be grateful for them, but I know my joy comes inherently from my faith"

Peyton Carter- "Having a tight-knit group of friends is a really great thing because they are going through many of the same situations that I'm going through."

Maanav Patel- "I overthink the little things, but at the same time i think one of my greatest strengths is i can see situations from everyone's perspective to some degree."

Megan Brockmeier- "You have to be excited about the little things in life. If you're not, what are you doing?"

Kiel Kittleson- "Family is so big for me, I wanted to stick close to home and Villanova was the perfect fit, which is funny because by junior year I had never even heard of it."

David Izzo- "I respect people that are unrelentingly sure of themselves, and I just don't feel like I'm quite there yet. I mean, needless to say, I think most people aren't in college."

Hamilton Tree- "I think I have become aware of how lucky I am to have the people I am friends with around me"

Meredith Jennings- "I'm at the point where I'm realizing my own impact. I'm more aware of my interactions, and I'm trying to make myself the best me I can be for others. I've worked on listening a lot, and observing."

Tre Kemp- " Sports are my sanctuary that have always kept me out of my own feelings. It's about putting the pedal to the metal until the wheels fall off."

Courtney Mcpheter- " I've had to accept that obstacles exist, and oftentimes situations need to work themselves out. My end goal is to find a lifestyle that I can adequately express myself through."

Clay Ayres- "The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are. The second greatest is being happy with what you find"

Shlok Kaneria- "I want to be happy with what I do, and what I make for myself. I care more about the impact I have on people and the world than the amount of money I make."

Louis Jackson- "The minute that you become 'content' is the same a harder worker surpasses you."

Bethany deMena- "I've been more attentive to what parts of myself I like the most, and which of those I want to prioritize."

Cac Williams- "People who thrive are not being different or doing something they would never have been able to do, they are just happiest when they act as themselves, without a mask."

Jackson Sweeney- "To me it's important to have balance between remembering and knowing who you are and where you come from and understanding others and where they are from."

Alex Best- "But when we wish time away, we can't find beauty in the small day to day tasks that can hold so much beauty and excitement!"

Jack Conboy- "I've never had a bad day because I've always been surrounded by such great people, and that's everything to me"

Danielle Fusaro- "I've learned to get over my constant urge to control the future and just trust the universe. You can't be mindless and just exist, but if you stop trying to control the things you can't and focus on those that you can, you make more deliberate decisions and it really makes life so much healthier, and so much more exciting"

Giselle Striedinger- "The hardest changes are those you don't even know about, and when you realize they're happening, it can make you really unsure of yourself"

Jovi Rodriguez- "Sometimes your dreams shift, the real important ones are those that don't leave."

Ally Porzio- "I am the type of person who tends to get swept up in everyday tasks, just going through the same things, but finding the little moments that bring me joy is what makes me want to exist as a person."

Ryan Weicht- "From kindness, all other values follow."

Jose Nunez- "It's about learning to fall in love with the process, not the end goal. If I love everything I'm doing now, the success & happiness will come."

Caroline Kavanaugh- "I continue to welcome the opportunity to find new homes in other aspects of my life"

Will Summers- "Every day I try to bring joy to as many people as possible and be there for those who can't feel it. I try to make the world aware."

Matt Farias- "Life is such a limited time. Losing my best friend last year taught me that we need to show the love we have for people now, pursue passions now, and do what makes us happy now."

Margaret Oestreicher- "Do you ever wish you could redo situations? Not in the sense that you would change everything, but maybe try things a different way?"

Molly Carroll- "It's hard, impossible to stay focused on yourself when you are always looking to someone else."

Nicole Conte- "To simply distinguish between the good and bad of every little moment without perspective is sort of taking the easy way out; always try to look for the better/happier parts."

Mckenzie Mix-"I firmly believe that people change people, and I am proud to say that I have had some who have helped to shape the person that I have become and will continue to become in the future"

https://www.instagram.com/theqolproject/

https://www.facebook.com/theqolproject/?__tn__=%2C...

Check it out and watch your life change!