Many think that gift cards are tacky, an insensitive and lazy way of Christmas gift giving. That there’s no thought placed in the person that’s gifted. Christmas has turned into a marketers dream, as they dump off unwanted merchandise that they can’t sell, to rid of excess inventory.
The holiday season is the tradition of exchanging gifts, showing that you care, but the gifts are often rarely what the person wants. How dare you buy me a pair of stretchy pants, telling me what I should be wearing. What people want to be furnished with are things that they really cherish, and experiences they can remember.
Yet, we persist in giving useless gifts, exchanging material goods, as if it can somehow make up for the void in the lives of others.
The real gift is connecting better, showing kindness and love, meaningful exchanges that are non-technology, such as eye contact or humor.
The Accumulation Of Material Things
Take a look into your junk closet. There’s stuff that’s accumulated for decades, which aren’t even worthy of regifting. We all have so much useless material things in our homes, that experts claim it lowers our sense of well-being, such as happiness.
We just continue to get more stuff for our birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and for holidays such as Christmas. We’re inundated with stuff, things we like and don’t like, junk we throw out at some point.
How many things in your home are you hanging on to. We have annual Spring cleaning and garage sales for this purpose. Some choose to be “pack-rats,” and wants to keep everything, for nostalgia sake.
The Need For Gifting
What’s known is that kids who are given every conceivable toy, does is reduces the quality of their creativity, as they become distracted. It’s no surprise that the more stuff we accumulate, the less we’re able to focus on singular things.
Some basements are so cluttered it resembles a landfill. They’re completely full of junk, overflowing with things that aren’t needed.
We give and get material gifts, this in the hopes that we or the receiver will be happy. What’s known however, is that it’s not all this stuff that makes us happy. We’re happy to a certain point to get another pair of socks, but that only last for so long.
Living In A Material World
What we do is get used to what we have, which then leaves us wanting more. We get habituated and bored. That’s why we constantly seek new and exciting things and experiences.
We eventually stop enjoying that car we recently bought, after that new car smell is gone, or those new shoes once they get soiled. They’re just simply there, as we begin taking them for granted, as the initial happiness goes away.
So the message to all this, when it comes to gift giving, is that you should be giving your friends and family, and especially yourself, things that are memorable for a long time.
Experiences And Not Things
What people remember the most are the experiences that they’ve had. What’s known is that we find more pleasure “experiencing” things like vacations, rather that materialistic things.
What everyone remembers and shares are their most memorable moments, such as that dinner at that exclusive restaurant, that hike, a theatrical event or musical concert, that tour at the museum.
We remember how, what and when we did something we enjoyed, such as that latest cruise, much more than what we got for our birthday or Christmas. Even if we do happen to remember, we still value the experience more.
That Special Experience
Not all experiences are the same however. Those events which are primarily focused on yourself, such as a trip to the hair dresser, will be different from those that are focused on others, such as that surprise birthday party you threw for a friend.
What you’ll remember is the surprise party, and how happy you were that it went off flawlessly without issues. What you’ll forget more easily, is the massage and the facial that you got.
What’s also known is you’ll remember experiences which involves some type of community service, the ones which elevates your sense of fulfillment, purpose, and meaning to a higher level,
These can include volunteering your time at the local pet shelter, helping disadvantaged kids or the elderly, anything that’s nonprofit.
The Gift Of Love
All that we’re wanting, searching for is happiness and well-being, and hope that the gifts we give will accomplish this.
What’s infinitely more important, are doing altruistic acts, making this world a much better place to live in, for those you serve.
What this leads to is greater levels of fulfillment, this not just for yourself but for others as well. They in turn, are then hopefully wanting to help others as much.
The True Meaning Of The Holidays
Along with going online or to the local mall to splurge on materialistic things, also choose to take a homeless or an elderly person out for lunch.
What you’ll get is the true sense of what giving really is. There’s nothing that’s more profound, more humbling and meaningful, than truly connecting with another person.
Do so, instead of allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and exposing yourself to others that you may of otherwise judged. Give the gift of giving yourself, this without expecting nothing back in return.
Stop Being So Materialistic
Decide to stop giving people more “stuff.” Instead, choose to be minimal. Stop buying things they don’t need, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Think what’s more important, than giving another gift.
What people crave for is connection, so choose to give and share what everyone longs for, and that’s experiences.