Outside of India, people have always had trouble saying my name. I've been called "Arita", "Aretha", "Aaraathi", "Orathi" and many many other variations of my name, but eventually they get it right; well most of the time! Recently,I had a long and overdue conversation with a very good friend of mine, and at the end of the conversation, he asked me what my name meant. The name "Arathi" essentially is a ritual of religious worship in which light from wicks dipped in purified butter is offered to the deities. The word itself means, "to remove darkness and to bring light by expressing love and gratitude". When I told him what my name is supposed to signify, he asked me this one thing that made me do a double take - "Are you living up to your name?".
I know what you're thinking, "What the hell does that even mean?". But it makes a lot of sense if you really think about it. Your parents gave you the name that you carry right now, and maybe they chose that name for you because they saw something in you or maybe they just picked a name out of a hat. Whatever the reason, we're bound to that name possibly forever. Unless, you change it to something like Princess Consuela Bananahammock, in which case, I wish you the very best in all your future endeavours.
Look up from your phone and really think about this for a second - Are you doing justice to the name that's been give to you? I asked myself if I really was bringing light into the world or to my own life with my actions or thoughts, and that made me evaluate my thoughts and decisions over the past few months. Am I being the best version of myself that I could possibly be? Am I living up to the name my mother picked out for me? And if not, what could I do to change it? What could I do to live up to my name?
You can sum it up in one word - "Deconstruct!"
To be able to be better at something or to create something that lasts, sometimes you need to tear down what you've already built and start all over again. It's not easy, it doesn't happen overnight, and it definitely won't be pleasant. But it's worth it. Take a good hard look at your life, your work, your relationships and most importantly, the way you respond to situations, and then ask yourself if you can proudly say that you are indeed, living up to the name that your parents gave you.
How many hours in a day do you spend pursuing that life long dream you have? How many hours do you spend talking about other people or being bothered by something that someone else said or did to you? If the time spent chasing your dream is less than the time spent agonising over something that someone else did to you, then you know that it's time to deconstruct this part of your life. Think about that one dream that you have. It could be to go to Paris or to buy a house or write a book or even eat 30 hot dogs in an hour. Whatever your dream is, are you putting in enough effort to turn it into reality? And if not, who is stopping you?
Who is stopping you from being excited about things that you love? Who is stopping you from dedicating an hour each day to pursuing your dreams? And who is stopping you from living up to your name? In my case, I am my worst enemy at times. The moment I decide to get out of my own way and pursue the things that matter to me, I find that things always a way of working out. You don't need a huge crowd backing you up or people praising you 24/7 in order for you to feel inspired. Be your own inspiration and see how far that gets you. You'd be surprised at how much you can achieve when you root for yourself!
Amal Clooney, when asked about her name, once said, "My name means 'hope' in Arabic, and I was born when there was a war in Lebanon". She went on to become one of the foremost human rights lawyers in the world and is also a strong advocate for women's rights. So stop what you're doing for a second, and ask yourself if you're living up to your name. And if not, start over and make yourself proud and worthy of the name that you carry!