I miss high school. In fact, I miss middle school and elementary school. I look back on my past years, the life I led and the friends I had, and I remember these times as much simpler and full of bliss. If only I could go back, I think to myself. My life was filled with so many friends and so much less anxiety.
Nostalgia & Fantasy
After I let these thoughts swirl around in my head, it’s time to get back to reality. Romanticizing your life is one thing but romanticizing your past can be more harmful than beneficial. I find that I often block out the negative aspects of my past and remember the few moments that made me feel like I was in a movie. I look back on these treasured moments with such joy and forget how much pain I was in under the surface. I remember old friendships and the adventures we went on but forget all the hurt that relationship brought me. Worst of all, I let this fabricated past prevent me from making the most of my present. My mind distorts these realities and creates unrealistic standards for the life I’m currently living. I’ve always been a sucker for feeling nostalgic, but lines between memory and fantasy can become blurred.
Phases of Life
Do not let the fear of change and growth cause you to revert to an older version of yourself. The person you are today is a person that has been molded by every experience you’ve ever had. You are perfectly crafted and curated to fit the phase of life that you are currently in. More often than not, relationships do not last forever. People grow at different rates and enter different phases of life. We can’t expect things to stay the same forever. While it may be painful to watch friendships and moments pass, it must happen to allow for new growth and to make room for who you’re meant to be in this moment. Allow yourself the room to grow and always remain aware of your emotions, your passions, your hopes and your dreams.
Embracing the now
One of the most valuable things I have learned in the past few years is to embrace the present and not let comparison be the thief of joy. When I would hear that in the past, I would merely think about comparing myself to others. However, I found that I more often compared my present to my past.
This is my favorite quote from one of my favorite shows of all time: “The Office.”
“I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them,” Andy Bernard, played by Ed Helms, said.
In just a few years from now, we will be looking back to this very time in our lives with nothing but fond memories and nostalgia. We are in the ‘prime’ of our lives that our future selves will come to envy. As I navigate these huge transitions in my life, I truly treasure each day and the potential the sun brings each time it rises. I reflect on myself and my life and realize that I am living out the dreams that I had envisioned for myself in elementary school. I am making the craziest memories with the people I will remember forever. I am living the stories that I will later tell my children and my grandchildren. The good old days are now. We must cherish them.