I’ve been seeing more articles discussing a shift in the public’s thinking this year. A shift of spending money on experiences, not stuff. I whole-heartedly agree, and as a scuba diver, I imagine you do as well.

We should take a step back this holiday season and take a look at what we value. Ask yourself a few questions:

What did you get for Christmas five years ago? Two years ago? Last year?

You probably don’t even remember. How about this one:

Where did you go on vacation five years ago? Two years ago? Last year?

Even if it takes a moment to recall, I imagine these memories are much more vivid in your mind. I’m not saying you have to go on an expensive vacation, but this holiday season, focus more on experiences, rather than stuff. The holidays are usually about tradition, but try doing some different. Go on a mini-adventure. Go somewhere you usually don’t go. Cook something you never cook. Instead of worrying about buying presents, think about simply being present and enjoying the here and now.

When thinking about gifts, think about maximizing their experiences, rather than stuffing their closest. Many already know what a great gift scuba certification is for this very reason. It’s like giving someone a passport to a whole other dimension.

Lastly, I leave you with this recent article from Zen Habits: The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents. Leo makes compelling arguments, that even if you don’t completely agree, should give us something to think about this time of year.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 6th, 2010 at 11:06 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.