Revisiting things you enjoyed when you were younger is a crucial part of adulting. This is especially true when approaching middle age, where crises of identity are all too common (looking at you, men!).
The trap that many of us fall into is that we simply indulge in nostalgia for the sake of reliving a simpler time: hobbies, video games, sports, buying stuff we weren’t able to buy when we were younger because we were broke (and probably still can’t afford anyway).
It’s a trap because the feeling of nostalgia becomes the goal. It feels good and brings back great memories of some of the best times of our lives. They stay stuck in our past, to be buried and dug up whenever we feel like reminiscing.
A more active way of engaging with curiosities of our youth then isn’t simply to revist them, but to evaluate them, now, as an adult.
Why did most of these things stay as hobbies, and not become core to our profession?
When did we stop doing more of them, and when did we replace them with the things that we’re doing today? How did these new interests change who we are, and which old interests deserve a spot in our very busy lives?
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion to feel, but it can also be a tool for introspection when we feel lost as we navigate the beginnings of the second half of life.