Making the Effort

I'm comfortable asserting that there are few things guaranteed to make a more positive impression than folks who remember our name after meeting us just one time. Ever stopped to consider why such a simple thing as hearing someone you hardly know use your name has such an outsized impact on you? 

Spending lots of time with my new grandson these last weeks has fortified my resolve to continue being that person who works diligently at remembering names. How many times in our early lives do we hear our names said by the people caring for us? Take a moment and think about the imprint our names make on each of us during infancy. Then think about the way you feel when someone new to you uses your name. 

Nourishment, sleep, and touch help us thrive. I'm currently re-experiencing how critical each of these elements are in a new life. I submit that hearing our name satisfies another primal need in all of us, for all our lives. And knowing another person made an effort to remember our name makes that person stand apart from those who don't. 

Reflections From The Bell Curve: That Name Thing