One day, One room
House: "Are you going to base your life on who you got stuck in a room with?"
Eve: "I’m going to base this moment on whom I’m stuck in a room with. That’s what life is. It’s a series of rooms, and who we get stuck in those rooms with adds up to what our lives are."
―One Day, One Room
This extract is from the TV show: House M.D season 3, episode 12.
If you think about it, it is true that moments of our lives are based on whom we’re stuck with. I base my whole high school on moments spent with my friends. Laughing to tears, having the longest and deepest conversations, sharing truths about each other, hating the same people, dancing on the dancefloor till sunrise. That was us, not me...US. Sharing series of rooms, writing the pages of our lives.
The memories I have from last year depend on every person I spent time with. They participated in making it a wonderful year. The memories I have from last night depend on who I was drinking with (And the amount of wine I had).
The quality of those series of rooms builds upon on the people we’re stuck with. They are our rooms. They are our moments. Most of the good memories I have, are shared with someone. I don’t really think about my life and get nostalgic about that time I watched 4 seasons of Game Of Thrones in a row by myself. Eating like I was gonna die the day after.
Instead I think of that time I cheered up my friend and told her that asshole didn’t deserve her, or that night I blacked out and woke up in my neighbour’s house, or when I saw pride in my mother’s eyes. Those are the moments I remember, those are the moments I’m going to base my life on 50 years from now.
It is therefore, very important to choose the people in our rooms. Your happiness and success may or may not happen depending on who you’re stuck with. If you’re surrounded with people who never teach you anything, you won’t learn, you won’t grow. Passionate people inspire you, smart people motivate you and widen your ambitions, kind people restore your hope in human race.
A good friend makes you laugh when you’re in pain and cheers you up when you’re down. A good friend brings out the best in you.
Someone who loves you will tell you truths you don’t want to hear, the ones that hurt but help you get to a better place. Someone who loves you will be your number 1 fan and your number 1 critic. Because yes, you need someone who believes in you, but you also need someone who’s not afraid to give you negative feedbacks. That’s when you move forward, that’s when you grow, that’s when your moments are valuable.
Life is shorter than we all think. That is why you should always choose quality over quantity when it comes to the people you’re stuck with. Don’t be afraid to cut negative people out of your life. Negative people suck the life out of you. They cut the sun out of your life. Choose positivity, choose authenticity, choose honesty and kindness. Always ask yourself: what value is this person adding to my life? Is this person bringing me joy? Peace? Happiness?
Is this person teaching me valuable lessons? Is this person worth my time?
Mother Teresa said : “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
You only have today, you have 24 hours, so you don’t have time for regrets. What’s done is done. Do better. Surround yourself with people who don’t make you wish you were somewhere else. Get stuck with people who make you laugh. Get stuck with people who make you appreciate life and yourself. Get stuck with people who know your worth and respect you. Get stuck with people who want you to succeed and help you grow. Choose wisely, because who you’re stuck with, impacts your moments hence, your life. And more importantly, be someone worth sharing a room with.
