NYU professor Adam Alter has observed the power names have to shape destiny. The technical name is "nominative determinism," which literally means "name-driven outcome." Alter points to the following examples: The current Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is Justice Igor Judge. His colleague, Lord Justice Laws, is a judge in the Court of Appeals. In the realm of athletic pursuits, Anna Smashnova is a professional Israeli tennis player. Layne Beachley is a seven-time world champion surfer. Derek Kickett was an Australian Rules footballer. Stephen Rowbotham was an Olympic rower for Britain. Usain Bolt currently reigns as the fastest man in the world over the 100 meter and 200 meter distances.

Other examples include Daniel Snowman, the author of a book about the Arctic and Antarctica; Christopher Coke, a notorious Jamaican drug dealer; the rapper Black Rob who was sentenced to seven years in prison for grand larceny, and Dr. A.J. Splatt, a doctor of urology.

Are all of these examples just coincidences? For instance, would Usain Bolt run just as fast if his name was Usain Plod? Alter concludes, "Researchers have shown that our names take root deep within our mental worlds, drawing us magnetically towards the concepts they embody."

Possible Preaching Angles: Positively, this illustration shows that we can live into the true name that Christ has given us (our identity is in Christ). Negatively, this story can illustrate how we all carry names deep inside us (like "loser," Not-good-enough," "Failure," Rejected," "Abandoned") that shape our destiny more than we could imagine.