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2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
You don't have to buy a lot of things to be happy. There is something more valuable in life.
We made a cult of things
Lamborghini on Wall Street, celebrity handbags from Louis Vuitton, mansions where successful people live. The list goes on.
We deceive ourselves into thinking that the only thing happiness depends on is the make of our car or the number of zeros in our bank account. We have put financial success on a pedestal and convinced everyone to share these beliefs.
In a society that worships material values, life turns into a useless, endless journey.
The key to being happy isn't spending time and money on things. The key to happiness is investing money and time in your life experiences.
MasterCard is telling the truth: "There are things you can't buy."
Our experience defines us
In December, on a trip to Hawaii, I took a ten-day meditation course. It was the most difficult, but most instructive experience I have ever had: I have never felt such a close connection between mind and body before. More importantly, it pushed me to change my life and fulfill my dream - to leave the company where I got a job last year and move to New York.
Any experience brings with it a mistake or triumph, as well as an understanding of one's own personality. Experience helps to sort out our thoughts, understand what kind of people we want to see next to, and ultimately find what makes us happy.
At the end of the journey, it doesn't matter how many days there were in your life. It is important how much life was in your days.
Abraham Lincoln American statesman, 16th President of the United States
We live in a society where material is the highest value. We love being able to hold in our hands what we buy. This happens because things are related to the currency, which dictates its value in the market.
It is impossible to physically experience the cliff diving experience on a Sunday afternoon. The situation is exactly the same with our first experience of dealing with partners: we cannot sell it.
If we could sell our own experience at the price we got it, we would all be millionaires.
Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Phillips) American journalist and radio host of the twentieth century
We accumulate everything we've ever seen, heard, tasted and felt. This is an experience that teaches us not to count working hours in a tiny office, but will lead to a disruptive business idea.
In other words, experience brings life lessons with it. Material values do not bring anything, but they bill us.
Experience stays with us
What are our fondest memories? I don't remember the gifts I got for the holidays, but the guests who came for my birthday, or the smell of hot chocolate on Christmas morning. I remember my first cycling lesson with my brother and the first date, which, by the way, went horribly. This is what brings a smile to my face to this day.
The main disadvantage of investing in things is their limited shelf life.
When we buy a thing, not only does its value in the market go down: after a while, we cease to feel its value. The situation is quite different with experience. It is emotionally durable and can be multiplied as we develop throughout our lives. The experience stays with us any minute.
According to research results, more than 80% of people recall their mental purchases more often than they actually make. This means that experience brings us happiness not only the moment we acquire it, but also when we just think about it.
How to get experience
Here are three tips to help you give up things in favor of impressions.
1. Change your financial priorities
If we want to have a real experience, we must prioritize to adjust the budget for the adventure ahead. It's as easy as saving up for a TV instead of going to South America.
Think about what you really need and what you need seriously and for a long time. We actually need very little material to enjoy life. Learn to be smart about buying things: once a small change you save will help you get an experience that will change everything.
2. Say yes more often
As adults, we learn to make decisions by calculating risks, carefully considering everything. If we want more experience, these principles will have to be relegated to the background. The best adventures begin when you least expect them. Constantly saying to yourself: "What if" is the right way to lie on the couch all your life, watching other people's adventures.
Start saying yes. Learn to live in the present. The next time you get an opportunity to experience, ask yourself a simple question: “Would I be sorry if I didn’t take this opportunity? Tomorrow, next week or next year? If the answer is yes or maybe, the adventure should also answer yes.
The future is uncertain. But you can control it by thinking less and doing more.
3. Start small (and cheap) adventures
Are you one of those people who watch the same movie several times in a row, walk the same paths to the same office, eat in the same restaurants?
You need a break from your daily routine. Be open to new experiences. Instead of going to your usual Italian restaurant near the office, visit some new place.
The most valuable experience is not expensive. He is near. You just need to find it.
There are many negative reviews of advice sites for every day, however, these resources will be useful to you. Personally, I've tried everything from salsa ($ 15 for ten lessons) and medieval dinner cooking classes ($ 39) to flying lessons ($ 88). Coupon sites are the cheapest way to have incredible adventures with friends or on your own. Start taking a little risk. You will be surprised how quickly it takes over.
We will all die one day. But before that, let's ask ourselves questions:
- Have I lived?
- What am I sorry about?
- Have I experienced everything that I wanted to experience?
It's up to you to decide what is most important: the make of the car or adventure and freedom. But try to invest in experiences, not bills. Keep your assets minimal, but experience rich.
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