Quote Originally Posted by Dizaster View Post
I recently joined up with a forum dedicated to being successful.. It's people sharing their success stories, advice, video's, audio etc...

I've been there about a month now, and I just got a PM from one of the moderators, who have 2 requests of me.

The first is to change my avatar so that it doesn't show saddoboxing...(I use the same avatar on there as here)..
I can live with that as I get their reasons..

The second request is, and I quote :

"Another minor issue: "Dizaster" is a bit not "positive" nick name.
If you'd like to change it to smth motivational and more success oriented
=> just tell me and I'll rename your account

If you would care to fix these issues up in the next few weeks, we'll continue to welcome you here at blah blah blah"

This just made me laugh.. I mean, it's not like "I want to kill myself" or "you are all going to die early, poor and lonely"...

The REAL problem is I can't think of anything else to use.. Hell it took me long enough to think of Dizaster..
I first considered stealing someone's cool nickname from here, but that's like wearing a friends underwear.. So i'm in a dillema..

It's stupid the whole issue though
I admit my first instance was to laugh but after thinking about it they kind of have a point and actually be looking out for your best interests.

If it's a site about motivation, success and achieving your goals then presumably they are are very upbeat, focused bunch who want to try and keep themselves in a positive mental state.

Certainly our language can affect how we see ourselves and others and it may be that this mod is just loooking out for you so to speak.

He may think that calling yourself Dizaster is reflective of an inner tendancy to associate yourself with failure and so is a negative sub communication so to speak.

By asking you to change it to a more positive name he probably thinks he's helping you subtly change how you see yourself, so instead of seeing yourself as a Dizaster every time you log in he wants you to see yourself as someone who is not failure, but someone who succeeds.

Name changes do have a profound effect. Throughout history a name change has signified a transformation.

The apostle Peter for example was orginally called Simon Bar Jonah, which meant a 'a broken reed'. Jesus told him he was no longer to be Simon but to be called Peter. Peter meant 'a strong rock' and Jesus said 'Upon this rock I will build my church'.

Not to get all religious on you but I think it might be a cool idea to change your name to something positive, the antithesis of 'Dizaster'

It will be like a personal awakening moment, like when Paul (formerly Saul) met with Jesus on the Damascus road.

You're being reborn and remoulded into a succesful and inspiring person.


Also if you are there to genuinely improve yourself and make a commitment to better your life, it would be a bit gay if you decided to leave because they wanted you to change your username.


After all is someone registered here with the username 'HattonIsaCunt', I'd imagine he'd provoke a negative reaction with some, so maybe it's understandable on a forum devoted to success and personal improvement someone who registers themselves as being a disaster could be seen as communicating a negative self image.

Just change it to something positive mate and forget about it.