Welcome to the Commune podcast and to the second installment of this series on Stoicism.

My name is Jeff Krasno.

Across this series, I will introduce a collection

of specific stoic contemplations designed

to augment your life with enhanced powers of perception,

with more gratitude, and hopefully with better perspective.

Each podcast episode will feature a number of lessons and practices.

And let's face it, we're living in an extremely complex and stressful moment in human history.

And these practices can really equip you with the tools for remaining centered and for living a good life. There is also an accompanying written series over on Substack at

jeffcrasno.substack.com and a video course on Commune, which you can access for free at

onecommun.com forward slash stoic. In the last episode, I covered one of this stoic keys to joy

and gratitude, wanting what you already have, and a stoic visualization about

doing something for the last time. So go check out that episode. We begin this episode with a lesson

focused on the concept of present moment nostalgia. I call this, these are the good old days. So at the end of Carly Simon's hit

song, anticipation, there is a refrain that repeats, stay right here because these are the good

old days. Oh boy, should I try to sing it? These are the good old days. Well, something like that.

These lyrics capture the essence of today's practice,

which I've titled, present moment, nostalgia.

So typically nostalgia is reserved for the past,

a sentimental longing for a place or a period or a specific event.

Skylar and I often share a wistful affection

for the time when our daughters were little,

...