You’ve heard the phrase before, or others like “that was the golden age” or “those best years of my life”. You’ve probably said them yourself in one form or another.
People generally use these phrases when they are unhappy in their current circumstances or they are uncomfortable with change, whether real or perceived. I always laugh when I watch Turner Classic Movies as movies from every era, and we’re talking from the early 1900’s to recent times, always have some character talking about golden ages and when things were so much better. If you take this literally all the golden ages must have existed prior to the invention of motion pictures . . . until you start reading literature and realize even ancient Sumerian text (written more than 5,000 years ago) contains references to what could be termed “a golden age”.
The fact is there is no golden age and never has been. Yes, you probably remember when things seemed simpler or you were allegedly much happier. For me it was the 1980’s, mainly my college years. I had a blast and really liked that time. But looking at it realistically I was also in a very dark place on many levels. In fact, if I approached life the way I do now my college years would have been phenomenal, instead of this mix of some good times with lots of bad times.
The point is that if what you are doing and how you living right now isn’t your “golden age” you need to ask yourself why. Yes, these are trying times but flow is about constant success. If you do look back on a golden age why was it golden and why can’t you recapture that now? Flow is about YOU and you alone, so you really can’t say things like “my house was doubling in value every year” since that is fleeting — did you really think your house would double every year until you retire?
When you find your flow you are one with yourself, and the outside world becomes less important. That means you are always living in a golden age. Sounds like a fantasy but it does work!