Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What's in a Name

Have you ever walked through a cemetery and read the markers? I got to wondering the other day about how we use names in so many different ways. As my thoughts wandered I came up with a list of 10 of the most well known people in the country. Almost everyone has heard of them and refer to them often. Here's my list and what they are known for..

Most Progressive – Jones
              Keeping up with the Joneses

Most Overworked – Juan Valdez
               Handpicks all the coffee beans

Most Traveled – Kilroy
               Kilroy was here

Most Popular – Frank
               Let me be Frank

Worst handyman- Jerry
               He Jerry rigged it to make it work

Most Victimized – Peter
Most Owed –Paul
               People are always robbing Peter to pay Paul

Most Respected Witness – Bob
               I swear to tell the truth, so help me Bob

Most Forgiving – Ollie
               Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free It’s safe to come out in hide and seek

Most Skeptical – Thomas
               He’s a doubting Thomas

Okay, so this may be a little whimsical but I listed them to ask some questions. When people say your name and you are not around what reference do they put with it? How are you known to others? How do you "come across" to both friend and foe?

Would you be known as:

Worst Complainer - He is always complaining
or
Biggest Liar - You can't believe a word he says
or
Loudest know it all - He is always bragging
or
Most Helpful - Always there for people
or
Greatest Friend - He'll never abandon you

Believe it or not people label us by how we talk and act. This is where they get their impression of who we are down deep.

What comes to mind when I mention names such as George Washington, Hitler, Charles Manson, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Mitt Romney or Barak Obama? We already have opinions on these men by our view of what we have seen or know about them.

So now, when people say your name what do they add to describe who you are? If it's not favorable, it's never too late to change the way people view who you are.