Intentions. Let everything be intentional. Let every person in your life be there for a reason. Let every word you say to those you love to be said to push them to be the best version of themselves. Our intentions are everything. As I’ve gone through life thinking that you should have a certain number of friends, dated a certain number of people and that you should have "one hundred pennies rather than four quarters", I have begun to think a lot about my intentions and the meaning of why someone is in my life, or why I am taking a certain plan of action. Think about whom you keep in your life and also what their intentions are. Are your intentions radiating positivity to those you care about? Do those “four quarters” have intentions to be positive influences on your life? Although this is food for thought, it is certainly something that everyone will encounter, whether that be high school, college, or later on down the road. Nevertheless, I challenge all of us to think about our intentions and what we think the intentions of those around us will push us to be. So, how do we measure intentions? First, we must think about what our intentions are. How do we want others to view us? What do our families think? What kind of person do we want to be today? What about tomorrow? What about ten years from now? Think about that person that you want to be, and then reflect on who in your life would be encouraging of that person. Have we eliminated anyone yet? The phrase “You are who you surround yourself with” hits home if you truly think about the intentions of those around you. Who are the people that are going to encourage you to be a better you?
I went into college wanting the twenty best friends that I had seen in any and every “college setting” movie scene. College can be the place where people meet some of their closest friends. Whether that be the girl you don’t understand how you've lived without for eighteen years, your groomsmen, and maybe even your husband, many of these people that play a huge part in our lives are found in college. However, I have come to realize that I am absolutely a “four quarters rather than one hundred pennies” kind of person. A “quality versus quantity” if you will. Do not misunderstand. I challenge all of us to meet people, be friendly, and surround ourselves with those you wouldn’t normally at one point in your life, yet I also challenge you to think about intentions. What are yours? Are these people going to motivate you to be the person you want to be? If the answer to the last question was no, then I challenge you to politely remove those that are not radiating positivity throughout your life. Always be kind, but do not mistake the “pennies” from the “quarters”, if you see what I mean.
