Choose Experiences Over Things (Day 23 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge)

hopehuggs (67)in #ecotrain • 5 years ago

Unfortunately, we live in a society where more value is put on owning things and there is an obsession about acquiring wealth in order to buy said things.

It’s a material world, where we want bigger houses, cars and then lots of stuff to fill these houses.

The belief that we can buy happiness with stuff is ingrained within the majority of us as we have been living this way in the Western world for a very long time, but if we look closely at it, is it really true?

Are We Really More Happy With MORE Material Possessions?

More and more people are coming to the realization is that all that this extra stuff does is weigh us down and instead of making us happy, it adds to the stress factor.

A lot of the big stuff like cars and houses need a lot of maintenance, taking care off, not to mention the repair costs!

So, on their quests for happiness, people tend to find that owning less, living more simply and more minimalistically means more happiness and less stress.

The runaway success of books like “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondō (this particular book makes us think what things that we actually own spark joy) shows that this trend is on the increase.

This leads us to the conclusion that there definitely must be something in this idea of owning less and taking the focus away from buying and owning stuff.

I am not suggesting that you give away all of your stuff and move to a tiny apartment, bit instead rather spend a little time decluttering and getting rid of a few things can actually give you more breathing room and a sense of freedom.

And What Can We Do Instead of Focusing on Acquiring and CollectingThings?

We focus on experiences and creating memories…

When you think about being a child at Christmas, do you remember specific presents that you got, or do you remember the experience of Christmas and the fun times had with the family?

For me, it was the experience.

Of course, I wouldn’t have been too happy not to get presents, but looking back, as an adult, I can recognize that its the whole magical experience of Xmas that made it extra special. Things like playing silly Xmas games together, everyone made an effort not to argue, sitting around the dinner table wearing hats and telling bad jokes from crackers etc.

So, instead of buying a new car, new furniture, the latest gadget or a set of golf clubs to keep up with the neighbors, take that cash and use on a family holiday, or even a day out somewhere locally - a fun family trip.

Vacations may not practical and we can’t take them all the time (unless, of course, we are lucky enough to have the kind of lifestyle that enables us to that).

Use the money for spending quality time and creating beautiful memories with your loved ones. This will not increase your happiness whilst on that day out or experiencing the experience, but it will be a joyful memory you can enjoy over and over again.

Here in the UK, we have websites like Groupon and Wowcher which offer many wonderful experiences at a fraction of the price, there could be something similar where you are.

What about starting to consider giving your time instead of gifts? Instead of a book or another t-shirt for your best friend or mum, take them for lunch, or have a girly day out.

Instead of buying another gadget, use that money to go hang out with the guys at your place of choice, or put it towards an experience you’ve always wanted to try like a bungee jump, or driving a rally car, high tea at a nice hotel, a thrilling speedboat ride etc - whatever floats your boat :)

Instead of buying more stuff - think about experiences and the memories you can make that will make you smile again and again.

(Pictures from pexels.com)

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5 years ago in #ecotrain by hopehuggs (67)

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jcharles (39) 5 years ago

If only the children of today were taught this. Their parents are too busy and just let them sit for hours and hours with their eyes focused on TV or games. No more outdoors, no play time, no reading, NO IMAGINATION.

Their imagination is now fabricated for them. It's really sad and is the dumbing down of our society as a whole.

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booster916 (60) 5 years ago

Personally, I don't think much of material possessions.
I have always preferred functionality: For example, I don't need a car that costs $100,000, since that $5,000 can also get me from A to B; that's what a car is.
But everyone probably sees it differently.

I would always prefer experiences, adventures and the like, because ultimately our happiness is measured by how much we can throw away without losing our happiness.

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