This life is something else, isn’t it? As you go about your daily routine, whether it’s working or enjoying retirement or whatever it is you do, at the end of the day, what’s this life really all about?

I’ve always been an observer. I’ve never been the loudest or quietest person in the group. I enjoy people watching. I like to take in my surroundings and quietly analyze what’s happening around me.

Sometimes that’s a good thing. Other times, it might be considered a weakness. But it’s a strategy that’s always seemed to work out well for me, in my work life, personal life and my social life in general.

It took me awhile, but I always knew in my heart that this life is all about who you know. And I don’t mean that in the way you hear in movies or how one goes about landing a good job.

No, at the end of the day, when you’re sitting around the bonfire or the bar or even in someone’s basement with family and friends, the common theme is always the same – life is all about who you know – who you’ve interacted with and the stories generated from those interactions.

Think about it, every time people get together with their “people,” they tell stories about interactions with other people. The more people one meets in a lifetime, the more stories they have in their arsenal.

I’ve become aware, in my relatively short life experience, that life is all about the people you meet and the memories you make when you meet those people.

Physical things don’t really matter, do they? I mean, sure, you may talk about taking a ride in your buddy’s shiny new speedboat, but it’s not the speedboat that matters – it’s the people you spent time with in that boat and the stories generated from the experience.

Every time I talk to my grandfather, he talks about people. He can recall names from 70 years ago and tells stories of the crazy things they did together. I’m astonished at how much he remembers and he tells a story as if it just happened last week.

When you get to the last stages of this life, your past experiences with other people is really the only thing that matters. Interacting and creating future stories should be our main goal in life, aside from doing what needs to be done to meet life’s demands.

Now, more than ever, I find myself cherishing every single time I hang out with friends and family and I make it a point that every time I go out, I meet at least one new person and do my best to share a laugh with them.

Personal wealth isn’t about money and things – it’s really truly about life experiences, including who you know and who you’ve met along the way.

I have a goal of doing my best to make sure that, like my grandfather, I have plenty of stories to tell my grandchildren when I’m his age.