There's a finite amount of time in a given day, and as I enter my 50s, I'm becoming acutely aware that the "end of the line" is not some distant destination, but something that has more and more effect on the decisions I make.

And that means I have to be very deliberate in deciding where to spend every waking minute, and with whom. So let me offer you a suggestion on one characteristic you may want to consider.

We have very close friends we've known for about 20 years. We've traded stories and strategies about raising our kids as they've grown up, enjoyed many great home-cooked meals together, and been successful in getting together despite both moving from the "old neighborhood" to new homes nearly an hour apart.

Whenever we meet for dinner now, alternating between their house and ours, we spend hours getting caught up on what's happened since the last time we were together. And it's not like we haven't seen them for years or even months - on average, we see them every seven or eight weeks.

So how is it we have so much to talk about? I think it all comes down to a comment our friend Dale made over one of these dinners: "I like hanging out with interesting people."

He went on to say that interesting people visit different places, try different things, and interact with other interesting people, and that these experiences make for great stories.

Think about the people you hang out with - are they interesting to be around? Do they have stories to share about their adventures and experiences?

Do they have a positive upbeat outlook on life? Or do they just bitch and moan about how horrible everything is and how miserable their lives are?

The people you surround yourself with have an influence on your attitudes, on your disposition, and on your life in general. Why not surround yourself with interesting people?