The holiday season is only a few winks away. Stores are stocking shelves, cinnamon is everywhere, and Mariah Carey has taken up residence in the ears of countless retail workers day in and day out. Moving into the last month of the year fills many with a sense of reflection, and this eventually leads to a desire to give back to those in their lives who have had an impact.

Colloquially, it is a season of giving, after all. Considering all this, look back at your life. What is a particularly meaningful gift you have given? What is one you have received?

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I would assume that few of you would have considered cash for either response, save certain circumstances. Rather, I would guess for both of these, that it was not the gift itself that made you remember it. Instead, the feelings or experiences that these gifts created are likely what gave them more significance.

Does this mean that materialism is what is wrong with giving? I would not say so. It is a natural part of existence to want things, to collect and cherish them. Even birds will gather shiny objects and stash them away. I would argue that the memories these objects can bring forth are what makes them powerful, important, even. To that end, materialism is purposeful and can provide some anchor to our existence here.

If it is the case, though, that experience is the driver of powerful emotional response, then why is it that so many of us turn to the trap that is lining pockets over crafting an enjoyable time? There is undeniably a market with demands and nothing can run for free, yet more often than not we find ourselves chasing the almighty gil over doing what we love. There are bills to pay, yes, and it could be that without enough support an operation may not be able to sustain itself at a higher pace. It is true that money is important, but is it the be-all-end-all?

As we trudge on, more and more venues are bleeding themselves dry trying to capture a thinner and smaller pool of guests. There have been some who suggest that this is due to outside influences. New releases draw attention away, lowering the population. Increased numbers of venues can mean a wider spread of possible guests.

These issues have merit, but there is a larger problem at play for many venues. Rather than giving people something to care about, many become dens for small groups to cloister in, while those who pass through are only coming in for a chance at leaving with riches. Raffles, giveaways, contests, they all end up being hollow pulls. More often than not, those are the extent of interaction between those who work and those who visit.

Undeniably, it’s not easy to pull off something like that on a frequent basis. It takes a great deal of effort to gather the resources necessary to sate the appetites of the fickle crowds these venues inevitably foster. However, when compared with the idea of organically building a community, it is undeniably the more simple path. Yet far too often people are more inclined to throw gil around to lure people in. Why is that? What value does gil truly have?

The world is bountiful and there is little that many could want. Of course, glamour, housing, and some other things are important to people, but is the social aspect not a key aspect of these gatherings? And yet, with gil flooding the market, what can anyone do to counter this cultural norm?

Obviously, it is not reasonable to expect a drastic shift in what is popular overnight. But that does not mean we cannot take steps towards making a shift in a different direction. The trouble is, there is not really a wrong answer on how to change. There are so many ways to branch out and connect with people in a way that imbues meaning.

Really, the first step is to analyze your reasoning. Are you doing what you do for money? Would taking the gil away leave anything of substance? Rebuild your approach and you will find yourself in a position where the emotional resonance of what you do outweighs and outlasts anything based solely on the monetary. After all, the best gift is an experience that rings out across time!