Recently, I listened to a new meditation audio, with a soft female voice guiding me to recall a time when I felt at ease. What was my state of mind during those moments? Why was my environment conducive to relaxation? How do those past times differ from today? Can I recreate those feelings of comfort and ease in the present?

I really appreciate the guidance you provided. As I tried to recall those memories, I realized that the late 80s to early 90s were probably the most comfortable days of my life. I once told my son, “Hey, kid, I did have a childhood. There was no pressure to study, no need to start cramming in third grade to fit in with the competitive world. I had plenty of time and playmates to experience all sorts of joys, instead of just sitting in a room playing on a computer or phone.”

Even though you have an abundance of material things today, we didn’t feel like we lacked anything back then. It seems like you can get everything you want now, but you truly experience so little. I didn’t exercise because I didn’t like it (which came back to bite me over the next 20 years), unlike you, who don’t have time to do it.

During that time, even if I met a younger child who said they wanted to go to the best university in the country, I didn’t have any thoughts about whether I was working hard enough. Survival instinct and competitive pressure were foreign concepts to me. But I understood happiness; I knew what things could bring joy.

As I continued to reflect, I wondered what makes up today. Perhaps it’s about having to do certain things, striving for positive outcomes, or being affected by complicated issues that impact our emotions. Maybe someone might say, “Oh, you have so many responsibilities; they’re suffocating you.”Well, I think I understand now what the problem is today. Even though I cannot become a teenager again, I think I should go back to comfort.