What's in a name?  Does it really make you who you are?  I've always been a believer in how names shape your personality as you grow and even how you look.  I know I couldn't imagine being named anything than what I am.  Nothing would fit.  Can names even shape your career?  If someone was named Jackpot Jones, I could see them growing up to be a football or baseball player, whereas if someone was named Phil... well when I think of Phil, I think guy in Accounting.

In some cultures, names aren't immediately given out at the moment of birth.  The parents take time to get to know the child and come up with a name after understanding the little one's personality.  In this case, the name makes you who you are.  Such a peculiar thing to think about...Would Machel really be Machel if his name was Jonathan?  Would his name have played such a part in his life?

Do you think your own name played a part in your personality and the person you've become?

-Discuss