I don’t have a massive social circle anymore, and honestly, I don’t even need one. I’ve completely shifted my focus from how many friends I have to how deep those friendships actually go. I crave real, late-night-style conversations and authentic bonds, not just superficial small talk. For me, even just checking in every now and then with the people who truly get me is enough to keep my cup full. True connection isn’t about the number of contacts in your phone. In fact, even organizations like the National Institute on Aging have found that when it comes to keeping our brains sharp and our bodies healthy as we age, it’s the quality of our relationships that matters, not the quantity.
Finding joy in simple things
This was probably one of the most prominent personal paradigm shifts in my case. I stopped looking forward to some big events, vacation days or other important things, which would give me a reason to be happy. Rather, I began cherishing small micro-moments in the day: the silence of the new morning, the warm feeling of having a really good cup of hot coffee, the calmness of taking a walk around the neighborhood or reading a page from an excellent book. These were my whole world since I realized that happiness does not always have to be full of fuss.
My experience
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