Having a good name
Mar 30th, 2008 by spaceagesage
Although in my last post I wrote of the need to “let go of reputation” as Dr. Wayne Dyer sees it, I want to add that I find having a good name in the community is worthwhile. I know Dyer prefers to not let others control his well-being and emotions because “If you speak to 30 people, you will have 30 reputations,” so he recommends that people don’t buy into what other people think of them, but at the same time I like having a reputation for honesty, responsibility, and giving to my community.
Having a good name means having a better chance at relationships or business ventures. In my community, I have met a number of people by being part of, at one time or another, my Neighborhood Watch, the local fire department, and the chamber of commerce board of directors, as well as for volunteering to teach self defense classes to groups like ACOVA (A Community Organization for Victim Assistance). I see people on the street and in stores who come up to me and warmly greet me from having either met me before or from seeing me in action as teacher or community volunteer.
So although Dyer would urge people to let go of reputation in the sense of how it controls us, I find reputation in the sense having a good name in the community is part and parcel of building relationships.