A potent sense of nostalgia may wash over you today, leaving you yearning for days gone by. You may feel inclined to set aside your day's duties in order to reminisce about the past. Or you may want to spend a few hours of your free time perusing old photographs, reading through your previous years' journals, or revisiting gifts beloved friends and relatives have given you. Though it may seem that your journey into the past is without purpose, you may discover that you begin to identify elements of your past that made a deep, positive impression on you. Consider using these treasured moments to redefine your value system. The past can become a source of insight today that allows you to create a more poignant existence in the present.

Reminiscing about those elements of your past that touched your soul in a positive way can help you integrate similar elements into your life in the present. When nostalgia hits, we may use our most beloved memories as a short-term means of escaping the rigors of the present. Nostalgia, however, can be a useful emotion that allows you to make your world a better place. Through memory, you can refine your personal culture until it is a perfect reflection of your values. Bringing fond recollections to mind can also put you in an optimistic frame of mind. You'll be more apt to look upon the future with hope when you glance back and see that much of what you love is changeless. As you reminisce today, you'll uncover aspects of your past that can guide you toward a more fulfilling future.