(I’m working on shutting down my other website/blog and bringing the files and posts to this blog & corresponding website. I am using a few of those posts here until I’m done unpacking and reorganizing my house and website!)
What’s in a name?
My name is not unique. It was heartbreaking when I was younger to learn that my name came from a can of vegetables. Apparently, there used to be a brand called Nancy Lee. Isn’t that just sad? I wanted to be named some exotic non-ordinary name. My pregnant mom wanders through a grocery store and finds my future name on a can of green beans in the vegetable aisle?!
When I was a sophomore in high school, we again moved to a new town. I had a chance to reinvent myself. Our class had several “Nancy’s” in it, so when it came to signing up in each class, I cut off the “cy” and became “Nan.” That was many moon’s ago – more than I’m going to share with you, nosy. Needless to say, I’ve been a Nan longer than I was ever a can of vegetables… errr – Nancy.
I’ve been Nan so long, I don’t even recognize myself as a Nancy and if I were walking down the street and someone hollered out “Hey Nancy” I’d never realize they were talking to me. It sounds too foreign – even the IRS sent my forms each year to Nan. My inner name is Nan no matter what people call me on the outside. It is ingrained to the point that no one can take it away from me.
So what actually is in a name? Our identity. The name we are comfortable with is what is important and no one can take it away from us, even if they refuse to call us by our name. Even more important is that who we are is tied up in our inner name.
It’s like when someone called my son stupid in elementary school. He’d come home, full of indignation and said, “MOM! So-in-so called me stupid!” I’d say, “Well, are you stupid?” “Well, nooo,” he’d reply, “NO, I am not stupid.” So then I say (isn’t this fun?), “Well I guess that makes so-in-so a liar, huh! And we never believe what liars say, right?” Light bulb! “Ohhh, right!,” he’d reply, then go on his merry way, satisfied.
So what are you calling yourself? (well, you knew there was a point to this post, right?)
Is your inner voice calling you… stupid? A failure? disorganized? overweight? slow? depressed? stressed? fat? dumb? poor? ugly? incapable? a mess? You are the only one who can change your name, inside and out, just as I did in waaaay back in high school.
Sure, you may have to fight others to make them accept your new name, but you can do it – and you can ignore them!
It is a fact that we become what we believe inside and what we call ourselves, inside and out. When you are talking to yourself (what? I’m the only one??)… when we are talking to ourselves, what do we say? We mess up something and we say “Oh ______” – what? What do you say? “Oh you dummy?” “Man, you are so stupid!” “What a screw up?” “I must be losing my mind?” “I can’t ever do this right!” “I’m never going to lose this weight!” “Nothing ever works for me.” “I am SUCH a loser!”
Our inner voice is far stronger than we know and believe. No matter what someone calls us on the outside, our inner voice is the one we really believe. Trust me. When Alpha Hubby used to say, “You look beautiful” I’d make this raspberry sound, because really? My inner voice knew I didn’t look beautiful. It frustrated him to no end. To him I was beautiful and he didn’t like that I didn’t believe him. But even if I did look beautiful, my inner voice said, “Nah, look at that or look at this” – something that made me feel ugly. Zit, wrinkle, pudge, high forehead – whatever.
I think we should make a decision that from today forward, we are going to work on this. We are going to begin by making a determination to only call ourselves positive names – ones we need to believe – ones we want to be. It takes practice. It takes tuning our ear to hearing what we really say about ourselves.
HI! My name is Nan. My name is also organized. My name is healthy and fit. My name is thankful. My name is joyful. My name is disciplined. My name is wealthy. My name is successful. My name is complete! My name is “wow am I an excellent organized disciplined amazing housekeeper!!” (Ha! Hahaha)…. ok I’ll have to work on that one.
JOY is becoming the best you can be – and it starts right there, inside you!
*What’s Your Name, Don and Juan
A Boy Named Sue, Johnny Cash
Again, you just hit it just right. I have a really bad inner voice but I am putting her on notice right now that there are going to be some changes around here!
Again, you just hit it just right. I have a really bad inner voice but I am putting her on notice right now that there are going to be some changes around here!
Hear the roar! Cool song (boy named Sue), says it all. Names are very important.
Hear the roar! Cool song (boy named Sue), says it all. Names are very important.
This is so true. I have called myself “not good enough” for years and have just recently stopped. It feels great!! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
This is so true. I have called myself “not good enough” for years and have just recently stopped. It feels great!! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
I love this, Nan. Thank you for putting it up because too many of us think about so many negative things whenever we think of ourselves, period! And, it’s hard to begin recognizing when we do it, because it get’s so deeply buried into our thought process.
I started working on being more aware of this a while ago. I’m still in process and it’s been a lot of work. Sometimes I imagine how I would feel if I didn’t speak negatively at all to myself… I feel beautiful, competent, smart, happy. It’s like floating on a cloud!
I love this, Nan. Thank you for putting it up because too many of us think about so many negative things whenever we think of ourselves, period! And, it’s hard to begin recognizing when we do it, because it get’s so deeply buried into our thought process.
I started working on being more aware of this a while ago. I’m still in process and it’s been a lot of work. Sometimes I imagine how I would feel if I didn’t speak negatively at all to myself… I feel beautiful, competent, smart, happy. It’s like floating on a cloud!
Ugh, I called myself Fat this morning. Fat fat fat. And that should not be my name. Shame on me.
My parents named me Pamela out of love. My husband loves me with this name. My kids named me Mom, and they love me with that name. Any other disrespects their high opinions.
Thank you Nan (shamefaced)
Ugh, I called myself Fat this morning. Fat fat fat. And that should not be my name. Shame on me.
My parents named me Pamela out of love. My husband loves me with this name. My kids named me Mom, and they love me with that name. Any other disrespects their high opinions.
Thank you Nan (shamefaced)
My inner voice called me fat and not good enough… I’m working on that. But my mom got my given name out of a novel… a Danielle Steel novel, kind of like a can of vegetables, no? She won’t admit to the DS part, but the timing and the name are correct… I go by a shortened version as well… I’ve tried to go back to my given name, which I like NOW, but I’m too used to being called by my nickname 🙂
Did you know that Shell Silverstein wrote the lyrics to aA Boy Named Sue??? Just learned that this year!
My inner voice called me fat and not good enough… I’m working on that. But my mom got my given name out of a novel… a Danielle Steel novel, kind of like a can of vegetables, no? She won’t admit to the DS part, but the timing and the name are correct… I go by a shortened version as well… I’ve tried to go back to my given name, which I like NOW, but I’m too used to being called by my nickname 🙂
Did you know that Shell Silverstein wrote the lyrics to aA Boy Named Sue??? Just learned that this year!
I know, I know! I was Monica and didn’t want to be. I had a friend with that name, too. It got confusing sometimes. I finally realized like you that all I had to do was cut off some letters and I could become someone else that I was more comfortable with. Oh you know what I mean. Love this post. Actually I like all your posts except the weight loss – ugh – don’t need reminders I’m not doing what I am supposed to do. J/K! Love the music.
I know, I know! I was Monica and didn’t want to be. I had a friend with that name, too. It got confusing sometimes. I finally realized like you that all I had to do was cut off some letters and I could become someone else that I was more comfortable with. Oh you know what I mean. Love this post. Actually I like all your posts except the weight loss – ugh – don’t need reminders I’m not doing what I am supposed to do. J/K! Love the music.
I like how you alternate between inspiring build-you-up posts, hot posts about your marriage and fat loss advice. You keep me going in every area. I like this one and I am going to work on changing my inner voice. Any adivce?
I like how you alternate between inspiring build-you-up posts, hot posts about your marriage and fat loss advice. You keep me going in every area. I like this one and I am going to work on changing my inner voice. Any adivce?
hey, thanks for stopping by my site the other day! I’m following you now! Enjoy your Saturday! It’s snowing here! 🙂
http://www.justcherishtoday.com
hey, thanks for stopping by my site the other day! I’m following you now! Enjoy your Saturday! It’s snowing here! 🙂
http://www.justcherishtoday.com
Lovely and oh, so inspiring, as usual. You never disappoint me when I visit, sweet Nan! Thank you my friend!
Lovely and oh, so inspiring, as usual. You never disappoint me when I visit, sweet Nan! Thank you my friend!
Funny you should post this today – I was just thinking about my friend Andy. Andrew was his middle name, but he said he never in his life felt like a Brian (his first name). I always thought he was more of an Andy than a Brian, too.
Funny you should post this today – I was just thinking about my friend Andy. Andrew was his middle name, but he said he never in his life felt like a Brian (his first name). I always thought he was more of an Andy than a Brian, too.
When I was younger I always hated my name (I was named after “Maggie May” but now I love it. There’s only one me out there no matter how many Maggi’s there are, lol.
However, I struggle and have struggled constantly with those internal names I give myself. This was a great post, I’m going to try and recall it on those bad name days.
When I was younger I always hated my name (I was named after “Maggie May” but now I love it. There’s only one me out there no matter how many Maggi’s there are, lol.
However, I struggle and have struggled constantly with those internal names I give myself. This was a great post, I’m going to try and recall it on those bad name days.
Hey Nan! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it! I’m attempting to add you to my blog roll but google is being a little uncooperative!
My name is from the movie Dr.Zhivago and was always mispronounced as “Laura” so my mom stopped correcting them and they all called me “Lar-uh” (not “Lor-uh”). anyhoo, I’m always correcting the spelling and people are always calling me “Lare-uh” but what can you do?? lol At least on paper, it looks unique! 🙂
Hey Nan! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it! I’m attempting to add you to my blog roll but google is being a little uncooperative!
My name is from the movie Dr.Zhivago and was always mispronounced as “Laura” so my mom stopped correcting them and they all called me “Lar-uh” (not “Lor-uh”). anyhoo, I’m always correcting the spelling and people are always calling me “Lare-uh” but what can you do?? lol At least on paper, it looks unique! 🙂
hahah. I like all the references but I’d keep the housekeeping part under wraps. Don’t want any one to get any ideas! And it’s not all in a name anyways-it’s what you DO with that name!
hahah. I like all the references but I’d keep the housekeeping part under wraps. Don’t want any one to get any ideas! And it’s not all in a name anyways-it’s what you DO with that name!
Funny coincidence that I just put something about names in a post of mine for next week. And how common mine is. I hated that growing up. I wonder what name I’d choose for myself if i could. Studies show that people do make associations with names. So why not us for ourselves?
Funny coincidence that I just put something about names in a post of mine for next week. And how common mine is. I hated that growing up. I wonder what name I’d choose for myself if i could. Studies show that people do make associations with names. So why not us for ourselves?