It’s that special person’s birthday again and you want to get them something equally special. Yet again, you find yourself wandering through aisles at department stores, surfing the internet for inspiration, racking your brains for ideas. Will they like this? What size should I get? What colour?
Will they like it? Well, I like it. Maybe I’ll buy it for myself!
We seem to be living in a world of stuff, more and more stuff, and ever-increasing choices of stuff. Sometimes we seek to renew ourselves by buying more stuff, new stuff, better stuff, a bit different stuff – commonly known as retail therapy.
The media would have us define ourselves by the kind of stuff we have, and persuade us that their stuff will have us feel happier, healthier, more beautiful, more ok about ourselves.
So what to buy for that special person? More Stuff?
Recent research confirms that most people, if asked, will say that creating memories outweighs material possessions in the enduring satisfaction department. And yet those same people will say that they are more inclined to spend money on material items rather than personal experiences when it comes to giving a gift.
Perhaps this relates to the need to place a quantitative value on things. And how can you do this for an experience? How much is time spent in the company of precious friends and family actually worth? How do you place an economic value on memories? Why do we feel the need, at some level, to do this?
Research also shows that, in the durability, happiness and satisfaction stakes, it’s memories and experiences that win hands down. How many times have you flicked through a bunch of photos of a holiday with loved ones, a trip somewhere, or a special meal together and found yourself reliving anew the feelings that those experiences evoked?
One of the best ways to generate a lasting sense of happiness, belonging and fulfilment is by getting out into Nature. Nature is fuel for the soul. How can you put a price on the simple pleasure of walking barefoot through dewy grass, watching the clouds speed across a windy sky, or sitting by the side of a river following the patterns of the ripples?
And yet, on reflection these are the things that enrich our lives the most, that bring us together, and that create an enduring sense of wellbeing.
Rather than thinking of how much to spend on that present, why not think about how much joy to bring?