Swimming in Squaw Creek yesterday, a friend of mine commented that people who work for Iowa State’s Outdoor Rec program love life. I knew a few of them, and they are radiant people. So what’s their secret?
This morning I read But Will It Make You Happy? on the NYTimes Online. The article is about how people who consciously consume less and choose to spend money on experiences are more happy.
Why?
Because experiences are memories and they’re irreplaceable. Experiences also tend to be social and help to bond people together and develop relationships.
From the article:
One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.
Outdoor Rec people love life because they pursue experiences. They’re challenging themselves physically and mentally and developing good relationships in the process.
You don’t need to work for a recreational program to be happy, but you should be thinking about how you spend your time and money. Are you experiencing life? Are you loving the people around you?
If not, you might reconsider how you spend your investments.