Say My Name

As an advocacy presenter, I like to break the ice with my audience right away to get them engaged. One of my favorite icebreakers is what I call “Say My Name!”

Everyone creates an acronym out of their first name by choosing a word to represent each letter. Then, participants give an explanation for the words they chose. I’ve received so much positive feedback from this activity that I decided to share it with all of you in Blog Nation.

I’ll go first!

SHARI-

  • S-Stylish- For those who don’t know, your girl got style. Whether I’m dressed to the nines in a sparkly dress or just sporting a sweatsuit, I’m never just simple. My look has a lot of swag! Styling makes me feel good! Yes, I ride a scooter for mobility purposes, but hopefully my style makes a statement and causes people to wonder, “Who is that stylish woman riding that scooter?”
  • H-Happy- I was taught that I was responsible for my own happiness and I took that teaching to heart! Many people have enhanced my happiness, and I’m very thankful for them. But over the years, I’ve always found ways to make myself happy, too. This includes eating pizza, shopping, writing, and more!
  • A-Advocate- Without a doubt, advocacy is my passion. As a person with a disability, being an advocate for myself directly affects whether my needs and wants are being met. Being an advocate has helped me become the strong person I am today. I’m not afraid to speak up for the rights of others or myself.
  • R-Responsible- I’m the type of person who gets things done. Being responsible means keeping track of things and not letting them fall by the wayside. While being responsible can be exhausting at times, this characteristic is often the determining factor in whether you’ll succeed.
  • I-Independent- I really value being independent. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’ve gotten much smarter about how I approach doing things on my own. My favorite three words used to be “I got it”, because I didn’t want people to think I couldn’t do things for myself. Now, I save my strength for when no one else is around, so I have the energy to handle things on my own when I need to most. I’ve also learned that independence can look different from one person to the next. My advice is - whatever makes you feel independent, go with it.

Now that you know the words I chose to describe my first name, you’re next! Share words that describe your name.

Please send your thoughts on this story to our Facebook page or email Shari at s.cooper@gesmv.org