EXPERIENCE IT!

EXPERIENCE IT!

Even when you’d lost everything you thought there was to lose, somebody came along and gave you something for free.” One of the most powerful lines from Jenny Valentine’s novel Broken Soup makes you realise that you do have the power to gift something special and make a difference to someone’s life. 

Christmas is the perfect time to express your love and choose the most precious gifts for your loved ones. There is this thing about gifts and surprises — no matter how small or humble they are, they are bound to bring a big grin on the receivers’ face. There is no dearth of gifting options nowadays with stores at every corner of the city and heavy discounts on e-commerce sites. But how about taking the gifting experience to a whole new level by ‘gifting an experience’ to your loved ones? 

MAKE IT PERSONAL
If you haven’t bought gifts already, it is time you rethink your Holiday gift plans. Most of us are already bored of receiving clothes, bags, make-up, cakes, smartphones, flowers, jewellery, décor items etc. If you wish to gift someone ‘real happiness’, just ditch the idea of giving them an iPhone or a FitBit, instead think of gifting him/ her a photography workshop (don’t we all love taking pictures on our smartphones?) or a mixed martial arts (MMA) class, if the person is inclined towards fitness.

“As compared to materialistic gifts that you can buy from your nearest shopping mall, buying an experience-based gift will make you think and invest time in it,” says Dinesh Dahiwal, who owns a small firm called Spreading Happiness in Hinjewadi. His two-year-old company helps you curate gifts and experiences. Dahiwal, who is also a psychologist, left his medical profession to get into personalised gifting and it is because of his expertise in psychology that he has been successful in suggesting gifts to people. “It is a human tendency to often compare physical gifts with others or, at times, not feel happy with what you have received. Say, your best friend gifts you a red dress, chances are that you might feel that the dress would have been better if it were blue or green. Or, if you have received a smartphone in brand A, you might feel brand B is better. But when it is about experiences, the feeling is very exclusive. A horse riding session for an animal lover, an hour-long visit at a museum for those who love history, movie tickets for a movie buff, a month-long dance  membership for a dance enthusiast, a baking workshop for those who like making cakes, or yoga membership for those looking for a fitness activity are the kind of gifts that will ‘stay with them forever’, because they won’t ever forget the feeling,” suggests Dahiwal.  

FEEL IT
City-based gift curator Divya Gaikwad, who curates gifting options for people through WhatsApp consultation for a nominal fee, says that times are changing and more and more people, including youngsters and children, love to experience something instead of owning it. “‘Make it memorable’ is what I always strive for while gifting or curating gifting ideas for my clients. You may gift your girlfriend a diamond ring and she me be elated, but you can’t compare it with the amount of happiness and thrill she will get when you take her for bungee jumping, river rafting or skydiving. It will not only expose her to a new world of adventure but it will also bring you both closer as you would be sharing the same emotion and adrenaline rush,” says Gaikwad adding that understanding the person’s temperament and personality is very important, and the receiver of the gift shouldn’t feel s/he has been forced to experience something. “Make it pleasant, acceptable and never try to compel them to come out of their comfort zone almost immediately. For example, if a friend loves art or pottery, don’t gift him/  her a free zumba session or mountaineering, instead present him / her an experience of pottery or a trip to an art gallery. If possible, be present with him/ her,” suggests Gaikwad.

BEING THOUGHTFUL
Gaikwad and  Dahiwal list down a few ideas that you can incorporate while planning an experiential gift for your loved ones:

GETTING A SPA TREATMENT: Fast-paced life and stress take a toll on your mind and body. So this Christmas, gifting your beloved, friends, parents, colleagues a spa voucher can be the best gift. You can book through various apps such as nearbuy.com or LLB, and they might give you huge discounts. Platforms like UrbanClap also help you gift someone the experience of a spa at home.  So if you are somebody’s Secret Santa, you know how to surprise them, and they are going to thank you forever.  

INDULGING IN ART: The city offers plenty of painting, sculpting, pottery and candle-making workshops all through the year, and practising art is one of the best ways to heal your mind and connect with yourself. You can find various art workshops happening in the city and you can choose the ideal one for the person you want to give this incredible experience.  

HITTING THE GYM: Well, many may be dubious about this gift, but trust us, this is going to push your loved one a step closer to being fit and leading a healthy life. All of us know we need to be physically active but we need to find the motivation to enrol ourselves at gyms, but once we’ve been gifted a membership, we are unlikely to say ‘no’.   

STORYTELLING: With internet and social media dominating our lives, verbal storytelling seems to be losing its presence. Christmas, being a time to tell stories of Christ and his goodness, and narrate Santa tales, could be  perfect to gift someone the opportunity to be a part of a storytelling group or an event.  

CONNECTING WITH NATURE: While we all love our Christmas tree, utilise this gifting season to help someone indulge in gardening where s/he can learn about various plants, tools and techniques required for kitchen or balcony gardening, and how to take care of them. It would be a step towards creating a greener world.

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