Back in the days when I seriously got into mediation, I listened to a guided meditation that instructed me to go back to my childhood. I was easily transported to that time and experienced a great deal of different emotions. Even if I was thinking about bad memories, I still gained a positive experience from my memory trips. This was very intense for me and it got me thinking about how nostalgia can benefit my life.
When I feel like I don’t appreciate the beauty of life, I can think back to when I was a young child, under 5. This is the time that I was fascinated and curious about anything and everything. If I adapt my feelings from that time into my present life, I am able to enjoy all of the small and seemingly significant things. Sunsets, flowers, birds singing just to mention a few.
At that young age, I was also learning a lot, and I enjoyed doing so. It is a helpful time to think back to when I need to do professional development or any other kind of study. It was also a time when I was small and the world was so much bigger, but I did not let it overwhelm me. So I feel that visiting these times really helps me to build my self-esteem.
My teenage years were full of drama like most people were. But the times that I remember the best were when I felt that nobody could mess with me. I was strong and ready to take on any challenge, even though I did not succeed every time. There was never a feeling of doubt during that period of my life, or at least that is what I recollect.
I think you can imagine how visiting my teenage years benefit me. I would say that it is any time that I feel anxious. It is a good time to whip myself into shape and tell myself ‘Do your best, and if you don’t make it, you will next time’.
I recommend that you take a trip down memory lane. Not all of our memories are great, but we can always find some moments in our childhood that shaped us and made us what we are today. They are not lost, they are here to stay, and we should cherish them and let them help us get through the hard times we are experiencing today and tomorrow.
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