1. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of names is, well, brand names: Versace,
Dior, and Vuitton. But then I think I come back down to reality and I think about my name and
what it holds (which is a few speeding tickets and some overdue library books). In today's
culture, names are how we distinguish ownership. They are how we earn our college degrees,
apply for credit cards, possess car titles, and sign the lease to our apartments. So, what if you
woke up tomorrow morning suddenly nameless? No degree, no bank account, no car, and
certainly no home. What would you have, then?
The truth is there is only one thing we actually own in this world- our thoughts. Thoughts
are so entirely possessed by us that if we want to, we can keep them hidden our entire life. If we
choose to share them, they may be powerful enough to persuade others around us. I've even
heard rumors that sometimes you get lucky, and your most valuable thoughts turn into feelings,
and then you find yourself in love (but don't quote me on that). And yet still, we keep our Louis
Vuitton bag in mint condition, but allow our thoughts to be dirty, faded, last-season knockoffs.
There's only one explanation for this: it's just easier. We can absorb thoughts from others
instead of establishing our own. We also openly accept, and even enable, bad attitudes. How
many times a day do you think something negative about someone else, or more importantly
yourself? If you actually kept track, you'd be shocked. Subconsciously, this endless stream of
negativity overcomes us. It selfishly takes up space and clouds potential for change.
Obviously, our name is our identifier in the physical world. But, it is only responsible for
our materialistic possessions. It is our thoughts and ideas that distinguish us as individuals. They
generate the standards we live by, the decisions we make, and the consequences we suffer. So, if
you knew that by simply changing your way of thinking you could change your way of life...
would you make a few adjustments?