What’s more important to you, a new expensive gadget or an interesting holiday somewhere exotic? Are you materialistic or do you prefer to fill your life with interesting experiences?
Did you know that people who constantly buy the latest new ‘thing’ are often less happy and satisfied with their life, and more likely to suffer from depression?
Experiments have shown that after a few weeks the people who had purchased an experience such as a trip or visit to a concert where still able to enjoy their memories and felt more satisfied with the experience, than people who had purchased a physical item.
As time passes experiences often improve as you can remember times like your first date or the birth of a child. On the other hand that great outfit you picked up in a sale no longer has any place in your memory. It is still just an object that gave only momentary pleasure.
You can never think of material things such as a car as anything but a car, even if it is the latest and greatest. It only gives you pleasure for a limited time, whereas memories of experiences become representative of a wonderful time in your life, and your mind retains them as happy reminiscences.
When you talk to others about your experiences it is more enjoyable for them and more palatable to them than if you are bragging about your material purchases. If you enjoy plenty of experiences it makes you a more interesting and likable person, and people enjoy living them through you.
With material possessions we all tend to get on the comparison band wagon – looking at which new car your neighbour has, how big their boat is compared to yours, etc. This generally causes unhappiness and discontent all round, because there is always someone who has a nicer car or makes more money than you do. If you are the one who has the greater possessions the pleasure of that is still fleeting compared with having wonderful life experiences that will give you lasting pleasure.
Experiences tend to be more unique than material possessions. The latest gadget is one of millions being sold throughout the world. Experiencing an enjoyable day out with your family, watching your children enjoy themselves, and playing with them, is a unique experience to you, and having shared it with your dear ones makes it even more so.
Very often, the person who values possessions above relationships, is ultimately a very unhappy and lonely person.
Take time to make a list of things to do, places to go, or accomplishments you would like to achieve. Life is to be experienced, enjoyed and lived to the full.
Written by Christine Sherborne - For more articles like this visit her web site http://www.colourstory.com
A Free Gift For You - Some of Life's greatest lessons I have learned
Wouldn't it be great if we knew everything when we start out in life? Lessons are often painfully learned and often costly. My hope is that you will read through the lessons that myself and many others have learned from, avoiding the same mistakes in your own life. If you take these seventy lessons on board they will help make your life run more smoothly, giving you a happy and successful life you deserve.
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Christine, is a successful businesswoman with more than twenty five years experience, having owned and run businesses both in New Zealand and the UK, and now in Australia.
She was awarded ‘Auckland Business Woman of the Year’, in 1996, for the remarkable and rapid growth, and success of her packaging company.
Christine originally trained in Art and Design, and later achieved a Diploma in Sales and Marketing. She has used her natural business talents and creative flair to develop innovative and successful business ventures as diverse as packaging, importing, computer sales and manufacturing.
Christine has travelled widely, sourcing product, suppliers, customers and manufacturers for her businesses, giving her a natural empathy, enabling her to negotiate and communicate with a diverse range of nationalities and peoples with confidence.
Being a naturally positive person, she has long been interested in self-help and motivation, and she is widely read in these subjects, using the knowledge gained to help to progress her various business interests.
In her personal life she has experienced major life traumas which have taught her many valuable lessons. Those experiences and how she coped with them, overcame them and restored joy and happiness into her own life, prompted her to write a series of inspirational self-help CDs to help others who may be going through similar traumas.