Starting off the new year with a new quote of the month!
"There's a difference between spending time around people and spending time with people." - Connor English
An old classmate of mine said this quote during a devotional a while back, and I couldn't agree more. Actually, I had forgotten he had said this, since I found it in the depths of one of my quote books.
(Sidetrack moment: I totally recommend keeping a quote book! I have one for the funny things that people say, and another for the wise or inspirational ones. They both remind me of all the wonderful things I've heard people say.)
Anyways! I think there's a lot of wisdom in this quote, so let's talk about it!
Why Does This Quote Matter?
It's amazing how one word changes the meaning of a sentence: around people versus with people.
These days, it's easy to feel like we're spending time with people, but we're really not present in the moment. We're more interested in FaceTime than face time, texting than dialogue, pictures than the actual person's presence. I am a firm believer that the beauty of this life is reflected in the people around us, so if we aren't focusing on being with them, then we're going to miss out on this life!
All that being said, I chose this quote because I think I'm going to make it a sort of New Year's resolution. I must confess that I've really never been one to make resolutions, but I do think self-improvement is important. The kind of goals I like to make aren't usually tangible, things such as having more patience or seeking joy in my life—something that this quote inspires for me.
I want to be better about spending time with people. I want to work on relishing in the music of laughter over the music in my headphones, or facial expressions over Emojis, or conversations over text bubbles. This life is beautiful, and spending it time with people sounds much more fulfilling than letting people pass by around me as time passes. I hope you'll join me in being more present this year!
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