My Reflections at Year’s End

Today, I will share my reflections at year’s end (okay, I am a bit late).

In my 20s, I chased education.

In my 30s, I chased material things.

Since my 40s, I have chased experiences.

With your indulgences, I want to share some of those experiences.

And why should you, too, prioritize experiences above stuff?

Enter Indonesia.

Indonesia

Stunning natural beauty?

Yup. Lush, verdant forested interior. Crystal clear lakes and beautiful beaches.

Active volcanoes, too.

Rich cultural heritage?

Kind and friendly local people?

Yes to all.

And I will tell you about an unforgettable encounter with a curious and clever monkey.

Experiences versus Material Things

In the 1950s, philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre categorized the pursuit of happiness into three distinct approaches:

Having
Doing
Being.

While the concept of “being” deserves in-depth exploration, for now, I’ll focus on “having” and “doing.”

By the 1990s, when social scientists began studying external sources of happiness, Sartre’s ideas had evolved into the psychological concepts of materialism (“having”) and experientialism (“doing”).

My Reflections at Year’s End – Biking in Bali

I suffered a remarkably traumatic bike accident in my mid-teens.

I landed in the hospital and had my ear and other face parts torn.

I have not ridden significant distances since then.

Until Bali.

The author bikes in Indonesia, shielded by a vehicle immediately behind him and his wife.

I rode through rice fields and the city with a protective truck behind me.

A fall aside, it was a breathtaking experience.

Buy Experiences, Not Things

Research suggests that experiences may bring more lasting happiness than material possessions.

A 2009 San Francisco State University study explored this by asking 154 college students to write about either an experience or a purchased object that had made them happy in the last three months.

The study suggests this:

Experiences like dining out or attending a theater performance boost well-being because they fulfill deeper needs.

These experiences foster social connection and enhance feelings of vitality, contributing to a sense of aliveness and overall happiness.

My Reflections at Year’s End – The Monkey Experience

“I love your eyeglasses.”

I hear that a lot.

So you can imagine my distress when a monkey took two incredibly long steps to grab them off my face.

Fortunately, my guide knew the drill, immediately taking off after the monkey.

He flagged an older woman who worked at the monkey park.

She offered a snack to each monkey’s hands, forcing him to choose my glasses or two pieces of banana.

He dropped the eyeglasses and enjoyed his snacks.

Experiences!

The study I mentioned earlier delved deeper by asking participants to reflect on and answer questions about their purchases.

Interestingly, people felt that experiences provided more value for their money and generated greater happiness for themselves and those they shared the experience with.

Importantly, the researchers revealed that experiences brought more happiness regardless of cost or the purchaser’s income level.

Experiences have a more universal ability to enhance well-being.

Furthermore, experiences seem to provide longer-lasting satisfaction.

The Cooking Experience

I don’t cook much.

So, you may be surprised that I signed up for a cooking class in Bali.

Cooking Balinese food. (And then eating it.)

Not just cooking.

How about some coffee?

The author tries various coffees in Bali.

Final Thoughts – My Reflections at Year’s End

I love this idea:

Purchased experiences provide memory capital.

I will never tire of my happy memories of Bali.

Experiences create long-lasting happiness.

On the other hand, I get bored of material objects over time.

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