The Story of my Name
You know when you are new to a group and they ask you to introduce yourself? This usually includes the typical questions: what's your name; where are you from; what do you do... Easy enough one would think. Yet I often feel overwhelmed wondering what I should say. Let me explain: Do I say my name in Spanish or English? Do I mention my two last names or will that raise more questions? Do I say I am from Mexico but I have lived in Chile, Venezuela and the US too? Do I say my major even though most people don't know what it entails?
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Whew! I don't know about you but that seems exhausting and though it highlights important parts of who I am, it doesn't say the whole story. So I'll do you one better and share the story of my name.
"Hello everyone! My name is Mariana. Throughout most of my life I did not like my name; in fact, I changed it every chance I got to more "interesting" ones. As I grew up and dived in more deeply into my faith I realized the beautiful story behind my name. Mariana is a combination of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Name (Maria) and her mom St. Anne (Ana). Indeed my mom named me with these holy women in mind. What a gift."
You can probably tell a few things based on my name: I love my family, God and making meaningful connections with people. And my hope is that I can celebrate those relationships through everything I do.
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How I Got Here
Journals have been my companions since I was a young. I got to express everything that I was feeling and thinking, all my passions and struggles, where I had been and where I was going.
They were a medium through which I found direction, joy, insight and inspiration. As I filled more and more pages, I felt this nudge in my heart to share the insights that continued to inspire those arounds me.
So, I turned to my favorite communication platform: podcasts. I loved listening to self-development and faith related podcasts in my everyday life. It is like you are right there chatting with the hosts (plus they are super convenient as you walk to class, on the way to work, while you workout). Yet I kept talking myself out of it because I believed the "enough lie": I don't have experience, time, money...the list goes on.
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However, I experienced this nudge in my heart transform into a calling so powerfully at the nationwide Catholic Conference called SEEK. I saw various of my podcast shows broadcast live.
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So what now?
They took place in a clear booth in the middle of a huge conference room surrounded by so many college students. We were all captivated by people from all walks of life sharing their insights so passionately. I thought to myself: "I want to inspire people like that."
Et Voilà!
So here I am. I decided to pursue fully the dream to share my journey and that of those around me through this podcast. I am jumping feet in first to this project and I am so grateful that you are coming along!
