What’s in a Name?
By Bo Sebastian

Everyday we call each other by name. We make up names for special people, odd people, fun people. We also call things names. Everything in our lives has an identity. In fact, when it doesn’t have an identity, it automatically needs an identity or a function, especially if it’s going to play an important part of our lives.

The first thing that happens when you meet a person. You reach out your hand and introduce yourself. My name is Bo Sebastian. Your name is? Then the name is filed in your long- or short-term memory (mine is mostly short-term), and everything is copacetic once again.

What would happen if nothing had a name? If everything in your life just was? Or better yet, if when you saw a chair, it was something brand new. You didn’t even know it was something you could sit on. What would life be like if everything you saw was completely new?

Your brain would be overwhelmed, is what would happen. The truth is, that most of what happens in our day, happens in the background of our brain. We focus in on one thing, but the rest is already filed and logged in, so there is no need to wrestle with what doesn’t matter in our minds.

But this kind of living leads to complacency, I’m finding. WE don’t need to bring everything into the foreground. But we miss so much when most of life is stuck in the back of our brains.

So, let’s shake things up a bit. Instead of driving home the same route every day, let’s take a different road every day. Look at the different houses and scenery (carefully, without causing an accident, of course). Or, better yet, take a walk in a different direction every day.

Do an open eyed meditation in each of the rooms in your home. Discover what is in the rooms that may be bringing bad energy to it, like Feng Shui. One time I was in my living room teaching a vocal lesson, and I noticed that there was a dead flower under my couch. How long had it been there? I don’t know. Obviously, my cleaning lady hadn’t been using the magic wand on the vacuum cleaner. Of course, I don’t want dead anything in my home. That’s just bad mojo all around. lol

Eckhart Tolle, the author of “A New Earth” suggests that when you discover that you are floating off in your head and becoming less aware of your surroundings, just scrunch up your toes in your shoes. Feel your shoes on your toes, and your toes on your shoes. Then feel how the material of your pants or skirt feel on your legs, and vice versa. This will bring you into the present.

You can always use conscious breathing to draw you back to conscious NOW. Count a five or six breath in and a five or six count breath out. This kind of breathing not only gets you into the now, it also can reduce your blood pressure by 15-20 points in 3-4 minutes. In a stressful situation, this can be a life saver.

So, what’s in a name, you ask? Nothing and everything.

Nothing if you have no awareness of it. And everything in the world, if you take the time to focus on life.