The moment we’re born someone names us. Our parents, a nurse, a guardian … someone gives us a name. And it’s not; “Hey, You.” Well, not officially.
Each and every one of us are given a name. Even if it’s Jane or John Doe. We have a name. Having said that, do you then start to identify with that particular name?
Do I start to think, “What would an ‘Amy’ do? Would she play with barbie dolls, climb trees, wear her hair short, maybe long?
In actual fact, the people that looked after us for the first many years of our lives typically are the ones that hand us certain toys; style our hair in a certain way; dress us in clothes that ‘they’ like.
Case-in-point, I remember my Mom loved to put a bobby-pin in my hair. Ugh, I really didn’t like that thing. It bugged me. But nope, she liked that my hair wasn’t in my face.
Think about it. Our parents, or caregivers even tinkered with our personalities. They taught us how we should behave. What we should say. How we should say it. How we should act. So really, we’re not ‘us’ just yet. Are we ‘acting?’ Is that it?
So, when exactly do ‘WE’ show up in our own lives? Is THIS why we become so rebellious in our teens? Even then we’re being influenced by our peers and people in the media.
Have we really ever gotten to know ourselves? We’ve always had influencers in our lives. Is our life one big marketing spin?
People make it their life’s work trying to get us to ‘buy this, do that, go here, experience that.’ If we don’t, we feel as if we’re missing out on something. Which then makes us feel isolated and lonelier.
I believe that we hit various ‘panic’ stages in our lives, where it shakes us up. We start to lose sight of who we really are, and this freaks us out.
You may know what I’m talking about when I say: The terrible teens, midlife crisis, and any other stage where we’re thinking: “What am I doing with my life?” “Who am I?”
This identity crisis starts when we’re born. If we don’t give it the attention that it deserves then we’re doomed to lead a life that is dictated by others.
So, what are we going to do about this?
I’ll tell you what we’re going to do about this …. You see what I mean? Someone else ‘telling’ you what to do. All joking aside …
This is why it’s so important to better understand yourself. Get to know who you are and what matters to you.
I’d like to suggest that you read and gather as much information as you can. Get informed and THEN make your own decision based on what’s best for you. As you start to gather more information, you’ll also notice a lot of contradictions.
Everyone has their own opinion. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you’re getting better informed, and when you do, you can then better understand what makes the most sense to you.
I ask you; What’s in A Name?…. You decide.