"Happiness is Only Real When It's Shared"

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Happiness is only real when it's shared!
Jon Krakauer

by Skip Cohen

Sunday Morning Reflections are never about business and marketing. It's my time to share something that's entirely off the track from our industry. Unlike most Sundays when I sit down at the computer and don't know what I want to write about, today I knew exactly what I wanted to hit; all thanks to the quote above.

We're living at an awful time in history - from politics, to a divided nation, to fires, floods, wars, global warming, rising costs...of EVERYTHING, and the return of childhood diseases that disappeared years ago, to name a few of the challenges. More than ever, instead of appreciating the happiness that we can have, so many people have become obsessed with all the problems.

I'm not suggesting we should ignore the problems,  just don't let them overshadow the happiness you still have. With the quote above, author Lou Mitchell wrote:

While solitude and self-discovery are valuable, true happiness often comes from sharing moments with others. Our relationships and the bonds we form add depth and meaning to our lives, turning fleeting moments of joy into lasting memories.

I remember something my Dad used to say when dealing with my Mom's Alzheimer's. They'd been married over sixty years, and he was "losing his girl." In those rare moments of normalcy, when her personality would come out from behind the clouds, Dad would say, "I'm going to hang onto this moment and squeeze all the juice out of this memory to keep me going in the tougher days ahead!" 

Ironically, the career path most of us have chosen, photography, is one of the most important tools in capturing those memories that make our hearts soar. It's all those pictures that remind us not just of what once was, but what can be again if we just don't lose faith.

And there's my point. Right now, we need to share our happiness, not to ignore the pain and fear we might be dealing with, but to ensure that laughter and love take top billing. I pulled a few images out of my files to share and hope you'll do the same. There's nothing like a walk down the good side of Memory Lane to jumpstart a few smiles!​

Wishing everybody a day ahead that gives you time to appreciate a little time off from the pain in the world and moments of happiness with the people you care most about. Those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about are a necessity. As my Dad used to say, they'll help you get the "memory juice" you need for the days when things are toughest.

​Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.