New year, new name? Hopefully, by now, you have started working in earnest towards your GHDs (Goals, Hopes and Dreams) for the year. If you're one of the new keep-fit enthusiasts I drive past each day, well done to you. Keep it up! If you're thinking of another positive change you could make this year, then consider if you need to change some of your names. "But I have only two names - my first and middle names, and I like them both", I hear you think. OK, but do you definitely like ALL the other names you knowingly or unknowingly answer to? The nickname your friends have always called you since were in school together? "Mm-hmm, I love that!" The 'Not Confident Enough' label bestowed upon you by your first boss, which still lurks at the back of your mind whenever you face a challenge? "Erm...well.." Now is a good time to undertake a 'names review'.
Names are important. Names are powerful. One of the first words a child learns to recognise is his or her name. A toddler quickly learns not only the shape and sound of her name but in many cases, also where it came from, especially if she shares it with someone she loves and respects. Traditions differ around the world, of course, when it comes to names. Back home in West Africa, we place a lot of importance on the origin and meaning of our names. Children are normally named by their parents or extended families. Many names are given by parents and grandparents as an expression of their beliefs or of their hopes and aspirations for their newborn child. My first name is a full sentence, which translates: "It is God who blesses us with children." During an earlier phase of my life, I was embarrassed by its length but I have since grown to love my name and especially its meaning. Inspired by the truth of the Bible in Psalm 127:3 which states that 'children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him', I embrace the fact that each time my name is called, it gives honour to the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Like mine, many Nigerian names are full sentences. Ask my sister. Her first name is 26 letters long! In Yoruba culture, it is common to give your child an oríkì. My daughter's oríkì is Anike, which means 'one to cherish'. An Asian colleague of mine was telling me the other day that in her culture, it's the sister-in-law who names the baby. We joked about the need to stay in sisters-in-law's good books in order to avoid a rubbish name for one's child. Jokes aside, I firmly believe that names are of vital importance.
Whether you are called terms of endearment like 'babes', 'darling', nicknames like the one I call my colleague at work, 'Boss Lady', or nicknames we loathe but have somehow managed to linger, we need to check if each one is still an appropriate 'label' for us. As we refine our goals at the start of this year, now is a great time to review our catalogue of names and to determine which ones we should keep and which we need to get rid of! If you're currently answering to or affiliated with the wrong name(s), then it's time to say "No more! Enough is enough!". Ask God to give you a new name that describes the identity that He wishes you to embody. I used to answer to Inadequate. I used to call myself Not Confident. I used to allow them call me names that are not for me. One day, I said "No more. Enough is enough." Instead, I proudly answer to my new names. Born To Smile. Confident. Blessed and Highly Favoured. Yes, that's me.
As you embark on your journey into the year 2020 and into this new decade, determine to bear the right name.
Names are important. Names are powerful. One of the first words a child learns to recognise is his or her name. A toddler quickly learns not only the shape and sound of her name but in many cases, also where it came from, especially if she shares it with someone she loves and respects. Traditions differ around the world, of course, when it comes to names. Back home in West Africa, we place a lot of importance on the origin and meaning of our names. Children are normally named by their parents or extended families. Many names are given by parents and grandparents as an expression of their beliefs or of their hopes and aspirations for their newborn child. My first name is a full sentence, which translates: "It is God who blesses us with children." During an earlier phase of my life, I was embarrassed by its length but I have since grown to love my name and especially its meaning. Inspired by the truth of the Bible in Psalm 127:3 which states that 'children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him', I embrace the fact that each time my name is called, it gives honour to the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Like mine, many Nigerian names are full sentences. Ask my sister. Her first name is 26 letters long! In Yoruba culture, it is common to give your child an oríkì. My daughter's oríkì is Anike, which means 'one to cherish'. An Asian colleague of mine was telling me the other day that in her culture, it's the sister-in-law who names the baby. We joked about the need to stay in sisters-in-law's good books in order to avoid a rubbish name for one's child. Jokes aside, I firmly believe that names are of vital importance.
Whether you are called terms of endearment like 'babes', 'darling', nicknames like the one I call my colleague at work, 'Boss Lady', or nicknames we loathe but have somehow managed to linger, we need to check if each one is still an appropriate 'label' for us. As we refine our goals at the start of this year, now is a great time to review our catalogue of names and to determine which ones we should keep and which we need to get rid of! If you're currently answering to or affiliated with the wrong name(s), then it's time to say "No more! Enough is enough!". Ask God to give you a new name that describes the identity that He wishes you to embody. I used to answer to Inadequate. I used to call myself Not Confident. I used to allow them call me names that are not for me. One day, I said "No more. Enough is enough." Instead, I proudly answer to my new names. Born To Smile. Confident. Blessed and Highly Favoured. Yes, that's me.
As you embark on your journey into the year 2020 and into this new decade, determine to bear the right name.
Great reminder! Thank God for the blessing of a good name. 🙏🏽
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this food for thought. A gentle reminder to bear the right name. Excellent !!
ReplyDelete