What's in a Name?

Ostentatious, Creative, and Determined

As humans we have a basic need to identify ourselves. We take on different names or labels. We are called mothers, daughters, brothers, friends. Christians commit to take on the names of Christ. We take on the name of our family. Teacher, doctor, secretary, writer… Compassionate, intelligent, calming… these are all different names for parts of our identity.

The true question is if a name really matters? Who would we be without these names?

I have often sat around with my friends hearing the stories of how they got their name. I listen to people talk about being named after grandparents, or their mom’s favorite movie star. Often, my friends don’t even know the meaning of their name, which in my household is insane. For me, my name represented my identity even before I was born. My parents pray about meanings and then create names for their daughters. My name comes from Zora and Leilani. It means ‘flower from Heaven’ or ‘dawn’s light.’ This definition was ingrained into me from a young age. I always knew that I was meant to shine bright... to be different. Every time someone mispronounces my name (which trust me happens almost every day), I know that it was just a symbol of my uniqueness.

We each have a unique way of discovering out own identities. For me, the labels I give myself are imperative in the creation of the woman I am. But for others, they act in the way they want and then define themselves by that. No matter which order we find our names, we need to recognize their importance. We are made by experiences, but we are defined by the labels we give ourselves based on those experiences.

I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is an anxiety disorder where I find myself uncontrollably fixating on my biggest fears and sometimes doing repetitive actions to try to reassure myself that I am safe. I was recently talking to a friend who told me that for the 7 years he has known me, I have been “the most self-aware person” he knows. He explained that from his perspective my OCD is not an inhibitor, but the very reason I am so driven, passionate, and certain in myself. So recently I have been trying to not think of myself as someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but someone who is Ostentation, Creative, and Determined. I am who I am. I have my struggles and it is easy to label myself based on what I think, do, say, and am in this moment… So, instead I choose to define myself by my potential and then be that person.

Some names we are born into. Sometimes we are labeled by our situation. But in the end, we are identified by who we choose to be. Being named light didn’t make me a bubbly, joyful person. But deciding I wanted to truly represent the meaning of Zoralei, helps me look to my potential and work to be the woman I want to be. Not everyone has given names they can look up to, but we each can label ourselves by that which we reach toward. As such, we must be careful how we label people, especially ourselves.

So... I hereby name you loved, beautiful, strong, and vibrant!