1000 Flowers for the Planet - #513 Collect Experiences

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #513 Collect Experiences

The western world has too much ‘stuff’, families have too much stuff, individuals have too much stuff, and developing countries will probably, one day, have too much stuff, if we all keep taking the route we are on. Instead of focusing our efforts on stuff, on having more things, let’s collect experiences instead. Mostly, when people get old and reflect on their lives, they don’t feel joy at how much ‘stuff’ they have, they recall all the wonderful experiences they had – time with loved ones; commemorating special events like birthdays and weddings; travelling the world and experiencing other cultures in their own environments; overcoming limitations; laughter shared with friends. So if you want to help the planet, work on changing the way you think about life and collect experiences. It might be going scuba diving on the preserved Great Barrier Reef; contributing to the preservation of a rainforest; visiting all the magnificent cathedrals of Europe; walking along the Great Wall of China; joining in a festival of a different religion or inviting someone of a different religion to share in your festival; parachuting from a plane; having a picnic by the river; hosting card evenings with your friends and having a good laugh; growing a garden; helping someone else grow a garden – the list is endless. Whether it’s big or small, scary or tame, alone or with friends, the best things in life will always be your experiences, so go and collect them.