Cathy Edgerly and I once taught a course on "Identity" for the Executive Education Program at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. Looking back on our work, the questions we posed and the approach we developed continue to inform my thinking about identity.

We wrote: "Our belief, founded on our own, often trying explorations, is that is the discovery, fashioning, affirmation and nurturance of firm identity is critical to a satisfying and successful practice." I believe that same is true for individuals seeking to create a fulfilling life.

Looking in the metaphorical mirror seeking a sense of identity, my questions are about the influences that brought me here. The narratives that interest me are those of the people and events that helped shape my life: family and friends, bosses and mentors, adventures and misadventures, successes and losses.

Those are the stories I want to hear and to tell. They are in my bones.