In your life, how many times have you been presented with an opportunity and let it slip away? Maybe it was the wrong time. Perhaps you didn’t realise what an opportunity it was or maybe for some reason, you felt fear. Fear of humiliation, fear of “what people will think” so you let that fear disempower you and the opportunity slip by. We all do it, and here’s my confession.
What’s in a name?
I’m not embarrassed about my name because Andrew is an embarrassing name, not at all. Andrew was my beloved Grandfathers first name, and my Great-Grandfathers as well. I am blessed to have it as my middle name (even if it does mean my initials spell JAW :-)). No, my embarrassment lies in the connection between naming our company Andreia and my middle name Andrew.
Andreia is one of the four cardinal virtues of Ancient Greece. It is an action-orientated virtue that pushes you forward regardless of the outcome (by taking the right action in the face of fear, a solider might lose his life). It is the virtue of taking action because it is the ‘right’ thing to do, and that requires courage.
You Could Say It Chose Us.
Courage comes from French and originally meant “to communicate wholeheartedly”.
Andreia is a virtue deserving of communicating wholeheartedly. Tanja discovered this through her research when she was writing the Andreia Method, it is the reason the virtue of Andreia made it into our methodology. Then, when we were working on branding, we chose Andreia as a name for our company because to take yourself on and make changes in your life requires the virtue of Andreia. As Tanja points out “You could say it chose us”. Andrew is derived directly from Andreia.
What’s really bugging me about Andreia/Andrew??
I have really had to take myself on to answer that question. It was only sometime after the fact that it dawned on me, I now shared a name with our company as did my forefathers, by accident, how serendipitous or burdensome. And (here’s the crunch) my truth is I have been “too something” to own it. Too embarrassed? Too awkward? Too fearful? Too unworthy? Ahh, that’s it! Too UNWORTHY! To own my name in context Andreia and what it means.
ANDREW is a brilliant name. I should be proud to have been given it and own its connection to Andreia and my forefathers, not feel like I have to hide it for FEAR of what people might think! “Wow, he’s hardly a glowing tribute” or “what a fraud” or one of half a dozen other stories I can tell myself. Why I shouldn’t shout my middle name from the proverbial rooftop. “My name is John Andrew Williams, I am the co-Founder of Andreia, named after the ancient Grecian virtue. From which also my middle name was derived…and that’s really cool”.
What Are You Hiding?
What about you? What aspect(s) of you are you hiding because you feel unworthy or are fearful of what will be said or done? What is it that you are you telling yourself you didn’t “earn” or “deserve”? What is it about you that if you owned it, regardless of what it is or how it came to you, could empower you to BE who you need to BE to live your life your way? I know why my parents gave me Andrew as a middle name, it was a family thing. The same rationale is why I was given my Dad’s middle name John as my first (I’m grateful I missed on Dad’s first name Reginald, LOL). AND maybe, paraphrasing Tanja, “It chose me”, and it is only now I realise why.
Reclamation
This article is about reclaiming my name, my birthright and for the first time ever using a name that is truly representative of who I wish to BE. A name to live into and empower my journey by waking and living the virtue Andreia.
The point of this article is to stimulate you, the reader, to open your mind to what advantages might be right at hand for you. Strengths or opportunities that have always been there and if embraced, might empower your life? Stop right now and look at who you are and what you have from a new perspective. Do a personal inventory and find out what you have and could be Grateful for.
So how do we do that? It isn’t hard, you’ve already taken the first step by asking the question and becoming aware. Viewing who you are and what you have from a different perspective is now possible. You are already looking for the “how” and that simple act gives you a change in perspective.
Change perspective and learn.
One way to use the perspective “that it could be another way” would be to reach into the tool bag and pull out the SWOT analysis. (Strength’s, Weakness’, Opportunities and Threats). Choosing the context of Being who you want to Be, look at each aspect of your life. Health, experience, family, location, education, relationships…the list is as long and as detailed as you want to make it.
Notice Your strengths and opportunities and forget the rest for now. It’s not that they don’t matter, it’s more that I guarantee you are more familiar with your shortcomings than you are with your genius and strengths. Yet catering to these shortcomings and being fearful around your weaknesses will not change your life. Whereas capitalising on your strengths to access the opportunities you have identified just might make a world of difference. That’s why I am reclaiming my name, John Andrew Williams.
John Andrew Williams
By using my full name in my work, I will be reminded at every turn to BE Andreia is who I am, Andrew. Having the courage to take myself on and BE who I need to BE to fulfil on MY chosen mission. My parents gave me the name, it’s mine by birthright, it’s who I am. The two most powerful word in anyone’s life are I AM. Whatever follows those words defines who you are …I AM JOHN ANDREW WILLIAMS… who are you?
This is a visceral experience because I feel like I am exposing myself. Who I think I am or could BE. Making a commitment greater than I might be capable of delivering on. I am deliberately stepping out of my comfort zone to be who I was born to be. If you want to join me in creating YOUR Life YOUR way, click here and let’s chat.
Cheers