Before you take down the shelves, take down the memories

How do you mark transitions?

What tangible object, ritual or memory helps anchor your memory and orient your future self?

It’s all about creating clear distinctions. In this life, where boundaries blur and time expands and contracts according to our mindset, the demarcation between different phases matters.

Especially if we’re fearful of change. Making transitions more concrete burns the ships, rips off the bandaid and kicks down the ladder. Doing so provides a sense of closure for the chapter we’re leaving, and a sense of anticipation for the one we’re entering.

These demarcations facilitate emotional processing today, and enhance memory and reflection tomorrow. Both of which reinforce our sense of self and personal narrative. Now we can better track how far you’ve come, and feel proud of our growth.

I’ve been writing songs since I was twelve years old, and every one of my tunes is a little time capsule that marks the transition. Even the bad songs. When think back to every major transition in my life, there is at least one song in my catalog that marks it. In some cases, there is an entire album to mark it.

Look, human memory is notoriously unreliable. Our brains are buffoons. We need tokens, totems, tributes, traditions, treasures and talismans to do some of the heavy psychological lifting.

Without these tools, there’s an erosion of emotion significance. We struggle to piece together the narrative of our lives.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have a fragmented sense of personal history. I want to anchor my memories.

What tangible object, ritual or memory helps anchor your memory and orient your future self?