Perhaps it‘s the dark of winter that makes us think more about what is unseen. The New Year also traditionally invites us to think about new beginnings. Instead making a list of resolutions, what about a list of discoveries? What about beginning with our own
identity in the simplest way possible-with our given name. Although you may think a name is simply a moniker, most names have histories that can enrich our
understanding of ourselves and the world we live in. How can you motivate and inspire yourself simply with your name?
First of all, most names have a meaning. Do you know the meaning of your name? There are lots of websites that can start you on your quest: Wikipedia, Behind the Name, and Think Baby Names. Let's consider some Biblical names, since many of our names are derived from these ancient sacred texts. Joshua means "to save." Jesus means "to deliver." Both Biblical figures lived up to their names. Joshua helped to save the Jews from wandering in the wilderness. According to Christians, Jesus was born "to deliver" (to free) us from
evil and death. John means "God is generous," which inspires
faith and confidence. John has been a very popular name throughout the ages and across cultures. Muhammad means "to praise"-a name, like Joshua and Jesus-that is meant to inspire
generosity of spirit. Deborah means "bee," which makes us think of work and its sweet reward. Mary means "bitterness" in Hebrew, but the Egyptian root means beloved or love. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(given_name). Both meanings are accurate: Mary suffered the bitter loss of her son on the cross; and as a mother, she is a symbol of love. The different meanings we find for Mary, depending on the language, lead us to the next step in name exploration-tracing your name through different cultures.
Because human history has been one of constant migration, most names can be traced through different countries and cultures. Many "American" names, like Abigail, Mary, Elizabeth, Paul. Timothy, and John, are in the Bible. As the Bible circulated across the globe, so did the names, which acquired historical and literary dimensions in every country they passed through. Creating a list of interesting people with your name opens up the vast possibilities life has to offer-many of which you would never contemplate if you didn't do a little searching. You will discover artists, scientists, authors, musicians, and a host of jobs you may never have heard of. Because Indo-European unites culture and history stretching from India to California, you can begin a quest that will grow with you as long as you wish. For example, John is the name of numerous saints, emperors, and kings. Pick an English, French, or Italian leader from the past and discover some "new" history: King John of England (Why only one English King John?), King John "the Good" of France. U.S. Presidents? John and John Q. Adams, John Tyler, John Kennedy. Prefer a novel? Try John O'Hara, John Steinbeck, or John Irving. Poetry? John Keats, John Ashbery, Johannes Anyuru. Rock music? Jon Anderson. Science? John Wilbanks, John Seinfeld, John L. Riddell, John Heuser. Just google "famous+ rock musicians" or whatever subject you want to explore (Since children love collecting namesakes of different times and talents, this is a great way for kids to discover a host of new namesakes and interests.)
To put things in perspective for the New Year, type your name into a time graph to see how your name has waxed and waned in popularity since the 1880's at Baby Name Wizard (http://babynamewizard.com/voyager). No matter how popular or unpopular you name is, it's not permanent because "nothing stays the same." Despite waxing and waning like the moon, your name is part of an ongoing history. The more you know about it, the richer your life will be. If you have a "made-up" name, find out why your parents wanted you to have a unique name, what associations the name has for them, and go from there. To energize your name even more, turn it into an allegory-let each letter of your name symbolize different dimensions of your life- psychological, social, environmental, and spiritual-as a reminder to keep balance in your life. (e.g.. J could stand for "joy" or "judgment." A for "achieve," "amend," "artistic," "ascertain"- whatever qualities you want to develop; and so on.) Once you have done this, you have primed yourself to think about your identity in these ways.
Our name is one of the greatest gifts we receive in life. Don't forget to open that gift, discover it, and make the most of it. It will inspire you in ways you never imagined.
