NOSTALGIA IS NICE, BUT...

This week, I want to talk about how nostalgia is really nice from time to time, but how you also need to look forwards and not backwards most of the time.

Honestly, I love a good memory just as much as anyone else. For example, there are moments from years ago that I will revisit in a heartbeat, like a holiday, a conversation, or even an ordinary day that somehow turned into something precious, especially memories from when I was young. That nostalgic pull is very real, and it really matters.

However, I've noticed is how easy it is sometimes to let those warm feelings trap you and become a place where you live, rather than one that you only allow yourself to visit occasionally. If you get stuck in nostalgia, you can stop planning, or reaching for new things, because the past you know feels safer than the future that hasn't been written yet.

The good news, if you actually think about it, is that everything you remember was actually something you hadn't done yet at that time. That moment then was still ahead of you once. So, if you think about it more, today is therefore full of things that you'll one day look back on with exactly the same warmth.

Here are some examples:

- Every time someone faces a difficult decision, they think back to a previous time where things felt easier. However, someone points out that they are comparing their worst day now, to their best day then and are therefore being unrealistic.

- A footballer, spends many evenings reminiscing and watching old football highlights from their youth or playing days. However, after their playing days are well over, someone invites them to coach local youth players. They almost say no, but don't, and it then becomes the best chapter of their life.

- A retired teacher keeps saying that their best days were in the classroom, but that is now gone. However, someone encourages them to start volunteering at a reading group in another school. Within just a few weeks, parents there are already talking about how good the previous teacher is and asking the school if they'd ask them to do more reading with their child.

However, nostalgia isn't an enemy. Research shows that it genuinely lifts our mood, steadies our sense of who we are, and can give us confidence when we need it most. The trick, though, is letting nostalgia stay as a visitor, not a resident.

So, this week, remember that a rear-view mirror is in a car for a reason. But as the driver, you only need to glance at it once in a while to check things. Then you need to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you, because the best is possibly still coming. And remember that, whilst nostalgia is nice from time to time, you must look forward and not backwards most of the time!