Life Is Much More Fun When You Have People To Enjoy It With

There’s something about the presence of others that makes life feel more enjoyable. Even when one’s life may feel like it is falling apart being around other people can make the world a more tolerable place to be in. I mean sure you can try to take this path on your own and carry the massive weight of the world, but it’s a lot harder, a lot sadder, and can even turn you sour.

As a teenager, I had a lot of friends, but as I grew older, I lost a lot of those friends. I saw this as the way of life considering the fact as you age, you grow apart from people. Unfortunately, though, this turned me sour. I became anti-social, stopped trusting people, lost hope in friendship, and focused solely on myself. I had this impression that I didn’t need anyone, and that people would simply come to me if they needed something.

I never believed in forcing social interactions or friendships. I always had this idea that things would just flow naturally, and I didn’t have to seek for people to talk to. Where did this attitude leave me? Alone, bitter, and wallowing in myself.

I had trust issues, and anytime a new person was welcomed into my life I had negative doubts about them. I was always worrying about whether they would be a good person or not. I was always concerned about whether they would stick around or leave me behind in the dust. I was so caught up in the negative things that could happen in a friendship that I missed the most crucial part. The beauty of having a friend. I was comparing my previous situations to my new ones, and this was not a good idea.

I would always come up with excuses insisting that I don’t have friends without sitting down to ask myself why. I was easily able to point out the external factors like being homeschooled half of my life, moving a lot, living in a small town, and not knowing anyone. I even use to think my parents were the ones to blame.

After a while, I took the time to think about it from a deeper perspective. I fed myself with more lies, but eventually, I came to realize one important thing. I don’t have friends because I choose not to have them. Then I begin to dive deeper and ask myself why is it that I don’t want friends, and the truth was I did. I was just being in denial.

I always tell myself everything in life is a choice. Depression is a choice. Anxiety is a choice. Overthinking is a choice. Settling is a choice and so on. Being aware of these things is important but it doesn’t mean one has to be this way or act upon it. As human beings, we are capable of accomplishing many great things. So, why is it that when we’re hit with something tough, we feel defeated? As if we don’t have the power to correct things?

I thought finding friends was out of my reach. I even thought not overthinking was out of reach, but it was all based on the limitations I put on myself. I made myself struggle time and time again.

Over these past few years, my life has evolved a lot. I’ve met many people, grown close to a lot of people, and gained new friends. Doing so has helped me to expand how I see the world and myself. I no longer care about the time span spent with friends nor do I care to overthink the things that are out of my control. I now know that I am not able to predict everything.

I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone, breaking down walls, and reducing some boundaries. How I engage with people is different, and I seek to make every moment count. Whether I indulge in small talk or large interactions, I use that as an opportunity to build connections with people.

I am thankful to be where I am. To have people I can call my friends/family is truly a blessing. There’s so much fun in going out with other people, cracking a joke, sharing a bite to eat, expressing happiness, and sharing good memories. This type of gold should be cherished forever and can’t be compared to any other external thing.

The beauty of having people around who want to invest their time and energy into you should never go unnoticed. There are tons of other things they could be doing but they chose to be around you.

So yes, being around people, in general, adds a unique spark to our lives. It’s like adding the final touches to an artful masterpiece. You’re almost finished but just need that one person/group of friends that will drive you nuts but also fill you with endless joy. Just because you don’t have something doesn’t mean you can’t achieve it. It’s all about finding what brings that spark to your life.

Here’s a small list of quotes as a takeaway to friendship and spending life with other people:

“The great thing about new friends is that they bring new energy to your soul.” -Shanna Rodriguez

“The greatest value of having good people around you is not what you get from them but the better person you become because of them.” - Nishan Panwar

“The love that comes from friendship is the underlying facet of a happy life.” -Chelsea Handler