The power in a name

photo from here

I recently got to sit on the sidelines and watch someones bad day be turned completely around with one small gesture from a person who had no idea how much of a difference they had made.  This person thanked her and used her name.  It's great to be recognized and to be thanked for things that we do, but for some reason the added touch of including our name in the sentiment makes it mean so much more.  It's no longer just a generic statement thrown out there...now it's personal.

I have been called by my sister's name my whole life.  At work I get called by the wrong name so often that I have given up trying to correct people.  My name is not all that common so it's rare to hear someone say it unexpectedly.  I've never heard someone yell "MISTY" across a crowded room and not be talking to me.  I'm typically the only Misty in the room (although I do know many people with the same name).  Even at home I don't hear my name being said.  Troy calls me "honey" or "sweetie" most of the time and it catches me off guard when I hear him actually say my name. 

Parents spend days weeks months searching for the perfect name for their little bundle of joy.  Our name is one of the very first words we learn to spell and write.  We search for the pencil/mug/keychain with our name on it when we visit the gift shop.  Misty is a very hard name to find and when I was in high school a teacher special ordered several pads of paper with my name printed at the top as a surprise for me.  I still have a pad of that paper hanging up on our refrigerator.  Our names are special to us. 

We love to hear our own names being said by other people.  It gets our attention and makes us feel special.  I saw a woman's attitude do a complete 180 turn around when someone took a generic thank you and made it personal by using her name.  She was glowing for the rest of the day.

You have the power to make people glow!  You can be the person who turns someones bad day into a good day.  Personalize those general statements and use the person's name (just make sure it's the right name!)