"I Am a Part of All That I Have Met"

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and I'm running amuck...LOL. Reflections is almost always miles away from marketing and business, and while there's a slight connection this morning, this is about how we all got to be who we are today. 

For years, I've been using Alfred Lord Tennyson's quote above, most recently at a close friend's funeral. Everyone who touches our life becomes a part of us. Of course, some people have a more significant impact than others, but I've been reading a book about why we do things the way we do. While many things go back to childhood, all along the way, we connect with other people. Friends, foes, everybody who crosses our path becomes an influence in developing who we are.

The most obvious is your style of shooting as a photographer. You've been influenced by other work you've seen and artists who you've met, online workshops, or heard speak at a convention. While you've developed your own style, along the way, there are elements you've picked up that have contributed to your signature.
 
Now, think about who you are today. Think about things you like, hate, feelings that you have when doing something different...the list goes on and on. In every case, you'll find you can trace it back to something or someone in your past.

There's an expression in psychology, "Hysterical is historical," which means things that upset you can be traced back to something in your past. I'm not here to play amateur shrink, but it is interesting when you start thinking about how you approach the challenges in business today.

Think of everybody you've ever met, and everything you've ever done as another piece of the puzzle - put them all together, and there you are. For example, when my good friend Frank passed away recently, I spoke at his memorial service and quoted Tennyson. Frank had become the older brother I never had and frequently spending time with him over the last few years, I admired his style and how much I was able to learn just by knowing him.

Wishing everybody a terrific day ahead. Take the time and think about the people in your life going back to when you were a kid. You'll find you can connect so many of the dots that make you who you are today. As always, go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs with the people who mean most to you.

And thanks for being a part of my Sunday morning "aha" moment as I analyze my own journey.

​Happy Sunday!