What's in a Name?

When trying to figure out what to name your website, there's a lot of creativity that gets thrown around.  You bounce names off your friends and family, you spend hours writing out different iterations of your own name and see if anything sticks.  Sometimes it can come down to a simple coin toss.  Heads we go with Big Daddy Director (which both seems a little amateur and also might get me confused with Dennis Dugan), or tails it's Unique Lens.com.  Of course, that was already taken as well, so back to the drawing board we go.

It was actually 2016 when my website name was created, I just didn't know it at the time. And if I'm being honest, I struggled with this for a while. That's such a statement, what does it mean?  Well if you break it down strictly by definition, Anointed means to ceremonially confer divine or holy office upon (divinely empowered). Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose or the attainment of popularity or profit. The thing about being anointed is that you can't really do it to yourself, I mean technically you could, but it's usually only respected when done by someone who holds a much higher office than you.

While most people can find some measure of success in their own life, coupled with the word anointed, it tends to take on a certain gravitas. Success can mean wildly different things to everyone. For me, as big as my dreams are, I don't think my definition really measures up. But there is another word I do associate myself with; and while I can't completely claim it in all my previous work, from here on out it will be the goal. Of all the definitions that exist, my favorite is as follows: Standard -- (adjective) - established or well known, widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence.

There comes a point in everyone's life where you need to understand who you are and what you are called to do. I believe that each of us has a calling and purpose that is far greater than we can possibly fathom. However, the main thing to remember when seeking this purpose is critical for it to become a reality. Are you ready for the secret? It's a big one, and millions of people never really fully grasp. Are you really ready?

It's    not    about     you.

We all have talents and abilities that can take us far. We can carve out careers that span decades and bring us accolades and awards. At the end of the day though, if our sole focus is on us and how big we can get, then I believe we have missed the point of life. In truth, I would like to be as successful a Director and Producer as possible. But in doing so I must confess I have ulterior motives. There's a great big family out there called "The World" and whether or not we like to admit it, we are all one people. So whether my career lasts for a solid 30 years, or short lived but well respected 5, my calling will still be the same. Reach the world.

It might seem a very bold statement to say that you are "anointed for success", and I don't disagree. That statement invites all kinds of confrontation and possible jeers if I don't live up to whatever the current views on success are. I believe in the end though, the one who did the anointing has the final say. This, of course, begs the question, who is this mystery anointer? Well, I can tell you two things about him for sure. He is not a man that he should lie, nor does he promise and not fulfill what he said.

This year I'll turn 40, and while I've had many adventures and done some pretty cool things, I feel like my life is just getting started. So if you're up for it, let's take a journey together. I can promise you one thing; it won't be boring.