A lot of the reasons why something is a favorite thing are all things you don't necessarily see, the place, the people, the time, where you are, what it meant to you at the time.
I miss my kids sometimes and that can get me down when I've been away working, but then I wake up and recognize how incredibly lucky I am. Spending time being down is less time out there achieving and enjoying.
The moment you give up your principles, and your values, you are dead, your culture is dead, your civilization is dead. Period.