We could never have loved the earth so well if we had no childhood in it. ~George Eliot
So what exactly did I look for in my childhood? Music.
The best way to remember and reminisce the past, is through music. Music itself has the ability open your mind into a deeper imagination, and into a deeper focus.
Through nostalgia, we’re reminded of the places we grew up, our families, the wondrous curiosity of our childhood, the joy of our favorite moments, past romances and the many places we have venture to.
As John Tierney puts it for the New York Times:
Nostalgia has been shown to counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety. It makes people more generous to strangers and more tolerant of outsiders.
Nostalgia does have its painful side, but the net effect is to make life seem more meaningful and death less frightening. When people speak wistfully of the past, they typically become more optimistic and inspired about the future.
I have found that while utilizing the effects of nostalgia, I am becoming more and more empowered, motivated and even happier as this literally like reliving highlights of my childhood. So what has this done for me:
- It feels like a holiday in the mind
- It releases endorphin’s
- It creates a bounce or rush of happiness
- Wants me want to relive the experience even more
- Increases my focus and productivity
- Reminds me of when things were so much simpler
- I feel more optimistic
- Relaxes my mind
- Reminds me of just how far I have come
- Reopens lost dreams, ideas and personal interests
I encourage you to find your sweet spots of Nostalgia and to see what wonders it can do for you. You will be surprised of what it can do and you will be even more excited once it reopens some lost memories, some personal interests and hobbies you had forgotten all about.