I've always heard people say the phrase "quality over quantity" and it normally just goes in one ear and out the other. But lately, I've come to realize how true that saying actually is. Quality is so much more important than quantity. And I can validate that with almost everything I've gone (and will go) through in life.
Take friends for example. Throughout middle school, I always thought it was so important to have a ton of friends. I did everything I could to have lots of friends and then try to keep all of those friends. Of course, I was unsuccessful, but still it was a big focus of mine to have a lot friends. That idea kind of stuck with me through high school, but I think it started to fade the longer I was in high school. I started my freshman year with so many friends, but as the years went on I slowly lost a few. My interests changed, their interests changed, we met new people, joined new sports and groups and I just lost touch with a lot of the friends I had. I graduated with not nearly as many friends as I had started high school with. And here I am in college, with even less friends than I graduated with.
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However, I'm past the upset stage. I'm not mad, I'm not sad, I'm just dealing with it. I've learned that quality over quantity definitely applies to friendships. I may have lost a few friends here and there and my numbers may be low, but I think it's important to have only a few good friends than a lot of average friends. It's important to focus on those friends who act like a friend should. Those friends who call you just to check up on you, make an attempt to be in your life, keep up with your life, give you all the advice in the world (now whether it's good or bad advice is a different story), listen to you rant about the same stuff over and over and are just there for you in all ways possible. Having a few friends like that is so much better than having a lot of friends who really don't care about you. Would you rather have ten pennies or one dime?
This also applies to life in general. Do I want to live a long happy life? Well, yeah, sure I do. But I want to emphasize on the happy part. I want to focus on the quality of my life rather than the amount of years I'll live. I want to make memories that I'll cherish, I want to laugh, take risks and live a life I can take satisfaction in. I'm going to spend time with my family and friends (the quality ones, of course). I'm going to try and let go of my fears and experience more. I'm going to take arguments, bad experiences, and sad moments with a grain of salt and move on. I'm going to do things that make me happy, and if that means spending a whole weekend watching Netflix, well then that's what I'll do. I'm going to spend time with the older members of my family and take from their wisdom.
Going along with that, I'm not worried about how many memories I make, as long as I'm making good ones. I know that sounds silly because everyone wants so many good moments to remember, but I don't exactly feel that way. I want to have plenty of good memories, yes. But I want them to be quality memories. I'm not like other people in college who want to go out every weekend and drink so much that you don't even remember the next day. I want to have good wholesome fun and memories that I can look back on in 30 years and not think, "wow, I was so stupid." I want to look back and think, "Wow, that was so much fun and so enlightening. I'd love to do that again." I want quality memories to share with my future family and friends.
Basically what I'm getting at is how I crave good quality with all things in life. I feel like we all settle so often in life and we shouldn't have to or even want to do that. I know I'm not the only one who sees people doing fun exciting things and wishing I could do them too, but just knowing too many obstacles stand in the way. But so many of these obstacles are so easy to get around, but we just don't do it.
As a wise man named George Strait once sang, "Life's not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away."
