What's in the name... Samuel

Hi friend,

I've now asked this question more than 130 times on my podcast: Do you know what your name means?

Almost no one does.

But here's the part that keeps me doing the show and asking this question. When I ask those same people whether they think their name has shaped who they are, how they act, how they see the world, most of them actually say "yes". They feel the influence of something they've never actually looked at.

That gap is the whole podcast in one sentence.

This week's guest, Sam, walked right into it.

A meaning that points back at you.

The name "Samuel" comes from Hebrew origins. It means "God has heard".

Sit with that for a second. It's a promise. During a hard stretch, during the waiting, during the part where nothing is working, the name says: you were not overlooked. Someone was listening.

Most of us would take that as comfort and move on. Samuel did something more interesting. He treated it as an assignment.

If his name is about being heard, then his job is to do the hearing. And he's clear that hearing isn't the same as picking up sound. It means paying real attention. Understanding at a level past mere words. And then actually acting on what you've been told.

So he holds himself to being a good listener. Not admiring it in other people. Requiring it of himself.

That's the lesson I want you to absorb and learn. Whatever your name means, ask the second question: what does this meaning ask of me?

The announcements were already printed.

Here's where it gets very human.

Samuel almost wasn't Samuel. Sam's parents changed their minds at the last minute, after the birth announcements were printed and addressed. The reason was about as simple as it gets. He looked like a different name.

That's how a lot of naming actually works. Not destiny. A hunch in a hospital room.

And yet. Underneath the hunch was a thread nobody planned. His mother's name traces back to the biblical mother of Samuel. The connection was sitting there the whole time, quietly shaping the decision.

Accident and inheritance, working at the same time. That's most of our stories.

The name you wanted to trade.

Sam thought his name sounded "dorky" as a kid.

A huge number of people spend their childhood wanting a different name and then grow into the one they have. Same letters. Completely different relationship.

Which connects to the last thing he said that stuck with me.

Renaming, and permission to start over.

Sam pointed out how often renaming shows up in the Bible. New name, new chapter, new identity. It happens at turning points.

His read: your past doesn't have to write what comes next.

If you're standing at the start of something, that's worth carrying with you.

If you've only got five minutes...

• 02:13 What hearing someone really involves
• 03:35 The name switched at the last minute
• 06:10 How a meaning can change the way you listen
• 08:53 The family connection hiding behind the choice
• 13:17 What 130+ interviews reveal about name meanings

Three things to try this week...

1. Look your name up. Right now. Even if you already know what it means. Do it again. It takes ten seconds and you'll probably be surprised.
2. Ask the second question. Not just what does it mean, but what does it ask of me?
3. Ask one person. Your mom, your dad, whoever named you: how close did I come to being someone else?

I'd love to hear what you find. Hit reply and tell me your name's meaning and whether it fits.

Until next time,

Jayma (aka your "Paradigm Shifter")

P.S. If you're working on your own leadership and purpose, take a look at the Intentional Leadership Network.