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Hey You! Are you ready for another podcast? I sure am. My name is Emily Romrell and it’s been a good week, My Friends. We’ve had a few stormy days here in Utah and we really need the rain. I like stormy weather. I love making a hot cup of herbal tea and cozying up with a good book. I love hearing the rain and smelling the wet air. I guess every type of weather has its own joy, right?
Anyway, I’m super excited about the topic this week which is The Power In Naming Things. This is an idea that might not come naturally for you, but let me tell ya, it is magical. To be honest, I may go a little overboard on this at times. I like to name everything from my houseplants (many of which are named after loved ones), to my guitar (Caliope, the Head Muse in Greek Mythology), to my toaster (Amos, just cuz I think it’s a fun name). But the principle of naming things goes a lot deeper.
There have been myths and stories reminding us of the power of names for ages. You may remember the story of Rumpelstiltskin, a sort of magical dwarf who grants wishes in trade for things that people hold dear. In the story, Rumpelstiltskin agrees to save a young woman. The girl’s father lied to the king saying she was able to turn straw to gold and the king held her hostage until she did so. Luckily, or unluckily depending on the point of view, Rumpelstiltskin appears and agrees to spin straw into gold in trade for the girl’s firstborn child. She agrees happily to avoid punishment from the king. Everything seems great until her baby is born and the imp shows up again. The now queen begs Rumpelstiltskin to reconsider and he finally agrees to give up his claim if the queen can guess his name within three days. The queen tries every name she can think of the first two days to no avail. But on the last night, she follows the dwarf into the woods and discovers his true name is Rumpelstiltskin. When she finally says his true name, the creature howls in dismay but has to leave without taking the baby.
In a more modern tale, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, magical power is found in learning the true names of things. And if you know someone’s true name then you have power over that person. A similar idea is also found in Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea Cycle series. These are both amazing reads by the way and you should check them out. I have a couple of links if you’re interested in the show notes.
History’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare, asks us, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”
And the perfect response is found in L.M Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables where Anne says, “I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”
Even the Bible starts with God naming things into existence. “God said let there be light, and there was light.” and John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
It’s not just stories though. Remember a while back on Ep 21. Abracadabra of this podcast we talked about Masaru Emoto? He was a Japanese researcher who demonstrated that words, ideas, and music affect the molecular structure of water. It’s amazing.
I guess today is an extension of some of the ideas from that episode.
Anyway, all of that goes to say that human hearts have a built-in understanding that names have power. Words have significance generally, and specifically naming something carries a special power all its own.
A few years ago when I first started counseling, my therapist challenged me to name my anxiety and depression. This can be helpful when dealing with difficult things and whatever it is may seem too big or overwhelming. I thought about it and came up with the name “The Lurker.” I honestly think my counselor was surprised. She was probably expecting a more normal name like Sally. No offense to any of the Sally’s out there, your name is beautiful.
Side Note: That makes me think about how Karen’s have all got a bad rap in the last few years, right? Most Karen’s I’m sure are delightful. But people in customer service jobs needed a name for difficult customers. They needed a way to express their frustration and it turned into a name…Karen.
So back to the Lurker. I came up with that name because I felt like my monster of anxiety and depression was always hanging out in the background, ready to attack at any moment. I imagined it sort of like the Hydra with its many heads. Every time I appeared to defeat one aspect of my demons, two more would grow in its place. I even made a drawing and you can check that out in the show notes if you’re interested.
I still haven’t defeated The Lurker completely. But let me tell ya, naming it made it possible for me to manage it much better. I kind of feel like the famous Crocodile Hunter, Steve Erwin. “Crikey, when you’re dealing with a lurker, you need to use these mindfulness tools. While it’s true, that The Lurker can be a dangerous creature, you don’t need to be afraid. You just need to respect it. You might even make friends with it.” I wouldn’t say I’ve made friends with The Lurker quite yet. But I can imagine a day where I might. But here’s the truth, by naming it, I made The Lurker into something I could understand and control.
My mental health is a lot better these days, but lately, I’ve been dealing with a lot of physical pain. So I’ve decided to name it too. The name I came up with is Dolores. I got that from the word Dolor which means pain in Latin as my Spanish-speaking friends might know. The etymology of Dolores comes out to “lady of sorrows” so there’s that. Again. Please if your name is Dolores, don’t take offense. I actually do think this is a beautiful name. However, I also have fun in my mind imagining Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. If I can turn my physical pain into an imaginary manifestation of Umbridge and stick it to her, then I feel happier. And again, it makes my pain more manageable and I feel like I have more control.
Actually, even before I named The Lurker, I inherited a name for every girl’s least favorite monthly visitor. My Mom named her period Myrna, and my sisters and I have adopted that name too. My aunt calls hers Mrs. Murphy, and lots of women call it Aunt Flo. So again there is power in naming something painful that you have to deal with on a regular basis.
But it’s just about naming hard things. I believe you should name all of the good and wonderful things too. This is as simple as counting your blessing. In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, we have a hymn called Count Your Blessings and it invites us to “name them one by one.” Another song from the classic movie White Christmas says, “If you’re worried and you can’t sleep. Just count your blessings instead of sheep. And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”
A quote that I love says, “If you see something beautiful, speak it.” I think this is so important. When we focus on the good things and name them, then the bad things seem less significant and further away. It reinforces the positive in our lives like nothing else does.
Another thing I think is important is not to give children negative names but to inspire them with good ones. I know most people don’t mean anything by it, but I hate it when parents call their kids stinkers or monsters or worse names. I love happy nicknames like buddy, champ, or sport or whatever. Again it’s just back to the power of names. When you tell kids they’re stinkers or monsters, then chances are they will behave like stinkers or monsters.
Both of my parents come from wonderful families and I was raised to honor my family name. Because of the good examples and the wonderful lives my ancestors lived. I have a last name I’m proud of, and I want to honor that name by living the best life I know how.
I got my name, Emily, from my Grandpa Eyre who is my mother’s father. My grandpa wanted to name my mother Emily but my grandma decided she liked Diane better and she won. So when my mom grew up she named me Emily as a sort of thanks to him. And my middle name is Diane after my mom. So I lucked out in the name department. My name means a lot to me and I want to live up to it.
My Grandpa Eyre also called me “The Girl Who Talks With Her Eyes”. I guess because I have an expressive face. That’s something I’ve heard from quite a few people. But I always loved that nickname. To me it’s beautiful and I think it helps make me a more beautiful person. Grandpa Eyre also called all of his grandaughters his “sweethearts” and all of his grandsons “pals”. So he was a pretty great guy.
Anyway, by now I hope I’ve persuaded you that names are important. They truly do have power and they affect the world and the way we perceive the world. If you’re struggling, it might be worth it to give your problem a name. Take time to name all of the good things in your life and be grateful. Give yourself a name that you strive to live up to. I promise if you do these things, then your life will be that much more vibrant. Take care, everybody!
…Hold on, have you subscribed to the podcast yet? If you find this podcast helpful and worthwhile then subscribing on iTunes and leaving a review would mean the world to me. And while you’re at it, would you invite your friends to listen? Every little bit helps to keep things growing. Thanks for your efforts, peeps. Live The Vibrant Life!
