Jibun Inc.'s "Relationship Strategy": Reviewing the Quality of Relationships by Life Stage

It was a time when I was single and could fully invest my time and energy into my own growth and friendships. The "breadth" of relationships was emphasized, and it was a stage of meeting many people and expanding my world. From my student days to when I started working, I jumped into various places and met many people. And I met people who would become lifelong friends and family.

I got married, had children, and "relationships to protect" and the "finiteness of time" became clear.
The "selection" of relationships began, and trust and a sense of security were prioritized over quantity. I continued to meet many people in both my private and professional life, but the time spent with family became overwhelmingly longer. And within the limited time, I naturally began to choose who I spent time with.

My position and responsibilities increased, and my life became work-centered. Moving from a rural area to an urban area also seems to have had a major impact on my relationships with people. It became work OR family, and opportunities to meet people in my private life decreased drastically. Also, because I was often busy, questions like "Have I laughed from the heart with anyone lately?" would sometimes arise. At the end of my 40s, I spent about a year abroad (although it was a big plus as a life experience), I couldn't spend time with the important people close to me, and I feel it was a minus in terms of building relationships.

Human capital and financial capital had certainly increased, but relationship capital—that is, social capital—might have actually been decreasing without me noticing.

Reflecting deeply on building relationships in my 40s, I understood to my core that I should invest my limited time and energy into "who I spend time with and what kind of time I spend." Now that I am in my 50s, I find value in the "quality and meaning" of relationships, not quantity. I would like to strive to increase the time I spend with important people and savor it deeply.

Rather than "how many people I interacted with," it is "who I interacted with and how I interacted with them"

What I want to cherish in the life ahead is what kind of people I build relationships with and what kind of relationships those are. Family and children, dear friends, colleagues I work with, and people with whom I can learn and continue to grow together—
with such people,
I want to build relationships where we respect each other, support one another, and share our joys.