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Do you have trouble remembering names? If so, you are not alone. It can be so embarrassing to know someone but not know her name. We can live in fear of being put in a situation where we are expected by Miss Manners to introduce this person we know to someone else… but we’re stuck! We may not even remember EITHER person’s name! If we’re afraid of being rude, of seeming the fool who can never remember, or of even being perceived as “not caring enough to remember a name,” we’re going to flee from as many of these situations as possible. And the ones we find ourselves in, the anxiety we feel will interfere with even a modest ability to remember names! When we’re feeling strong negative emotions, all our brain really understands is fight, flight, or freeze… those primitive reactions designed to keep us safe. Here is what I believe about remembering names:
1) If we can release the negative emotions around remembering names with EFT, whatever natural memory skills we have (however limited) will be better able to function.
2) We will be able to be genuinely glad to see everyone, even if we DON’T remember their names.
3) Our caring and enthusiasm for the relationship are really what matters.
4) We can learn to feel comfortable saying things like, “Hello, my friend!” and “I’m sorry, I can’t remember your full name right now” and even “Please, friends, introduce yourselves! I’m delighted you are getting a chance to meet.”
5) Using EFT we can set our intention to remember names “surprisingly easily” and our memory for names will improve.
If you would like to at least ease the emotional burden of guilt and shame from not remembering names, I encourage you to listen to the EFT audio session by pressing the button above and tap along. Listen to it several times until you feel you can be in situations where you may or may not remember names and still be calm and relaxed. Being emotionally free means being comfortable with Who We Are. Each of us has gifts, and while some fit better into what “society” finds comfortable, I would much rather have a friend whose eyes and smile light up when she sees me than to have the same person sit there afraid that she’s forgotten my name. Wouldn’t you?