During my week here in Hollywood, I heard a phrase that stuck with me:

“People come into your life for a reason, a season, or for life.”

This sentence hasn’t left my mind. It reminded me of a movie I watched on my flight from Munich to Los Angeles – “A Million Minutes.” The movie tells the story of a family who leaves their everyday life behind for two years to travel the world. At the end, the mother says, “We’ve been on the road for a year now. Half a million minutes.” Her daughter asks in astonishment, “What? Have we already used up that much time?” The father smiles and replies, “We didn’t use up the half a million minutes. We lived them. And no one can take that away from us.”

Do you know that feeling? Time flies when you’re with people who lift you up. But then there are those encounters where every second drags on – like a sticky piece of gum stuck to your shoe. The strange thing is, many people spend their lives with those who give them nothing, with whom they feel no connection, simply because “that’s just what you do.” But why?

There’s a scene in the movie that really touched me: The son accuses his father of only caring about his job and his reputation. The father, feeling helpless, responds: “I just don’t know what to talk to you about.” And you know what? That’s okay. Sometimes interests and communication just don’t align – and that’s no reason to feel bad. Maybe it’s time to let go and find people with whom conversations flow easily, with whom time moves naturally, rather than feeling stuck.

What did I learn from this? Our life is too short to spend it with the wrong people. Seek and nurture the connections that make your heart light up and let go of those that confine you or bring you no joy. Every minute counts. And it’s up to you whether you let them slip by or truly experience them with the right people by your side.

Best regards from Hollywood.