Last year, while watching the coverage of La Vuelta cycle race, I saw them pass through a region I didn’t know well. They mentioned a sequoia forest and so I looked it up online and discovered there were 800 sequoias planted near the town of Comillas in the north of Spain. According to google maps it was only a few hours drive from home. So we set off, stayed a few nights in Comillas, which was a real delight and paid two visits to the sequoia forest.
It is an astonishing experience to spend some time amongst these giant creatures. Quite magical. I took loads of photos, but the best thing was actually just wandering around, sitting from time to time, and just soaking up the atmosphere of the forest.
I’m not surprised to learn that for the majority of people experiences contribute far more to human happiness than “stuff” does. It’s not what we buy, or what we own, that brings most of us the greatest delight, the deepest sense of gratitude for this life. It’s the experiences we have.
If I had one piece of advice for this year, it would be to concentrate on making good experiences, not on accumulating more stuff. I know we have an economy based on consumption, and already there are stories about people “not buying enough” before Christmas, or in the “January Sales”, but, actually literally billions are spent over these few short weeks. I’d love to see a society based on qualities more than quantities, on relationships and experiences more than on stuff to consume. But until that day comes, I (and you, if you wish) can live our lives that way anyway.
Here’s to a 2025 of fabulous experiences of wonder, delight, joy and love. Here’s to a life of flourishing and purpose.
Heroes Not Zombies 