As I recently turned 27, I wanted to finally write this.
I do not have an ordinary last name.
I used to hate my last name. It only stood for its connoted and denoted meanings which from my experience, meant being called some interesting things, or certain assumptions be made. I didn’t know what microaggressions were until after I left college, but man did I feel them.
A typical exchange went a little something like this:
“Your name is Mario Sultan?
“Are you Muslim? Wait…Catholic, really?
“But Mario is an Italian name…”
**often some comment about my skin color**
And of course, the classic – “do you have a brother named Luigi?” ha ha ha ha…
I suppose people really need a label to sleep well at night. How could they not interrogate this culturally ambiguous person?
So many other factors contributed to my disdain for the name Sultan. I found it extremely difficult as a mechanical engineer trying to apply for internships/any position. Mind you, every engineering company in Brevard County is defense or aerospace. Therefore try to picture this Mario SULTAN applying to defense contracting positions that are clearance-path eligible or eventually required. Maybe it was all in my head.
My family drama also didn’t help and was among the biggest reason for not liking it.
I would cringe or unconfidently state my name when asked, or just use Mario. Until…
Several months ago I heard on a random podcast, the speaker explain,
“I do not have an ordinary last name. It is a powerful last name.”
SULTAN is not ordinary. A simple reframe, or redefining the name from one of weakness to what the name truly signifies. Power.
Here is the definition of the name.
sultan
sulṭān
The term sultan came from the Arabic and Semitic root salaṭa, meaning “to be strong or firm.” Originally, sultan referred to a form of moral or spiritual authority, unique from political power.
(Kramers, J.H.; Bosworth, C.E.; Schumann, O.; Kane, Ousmane, “Sulṭān,” Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Brill, 2012)
A sultan is a strong and firm spiritual leader. Spirit in regards to humanity’s understanding of the Divine; a depth of life beyond normal understanding. Sultans are leaders of change. They have authority. And they are respected.
Sultan means King in most definitions, but I mostly resonate with a different type of power; one much stronger than ruler. I possess an authority in wisdom, and in the service of good for those around me.
No man can ever overthrow that authority.
So now I live into my family name.
I emphasize the SULTAN.
I want people to think and know what that name means when they encounter me. To know the kind of man I am and my values, reflected by the name. Long live the Sultans.
Keep me accountable.
Cheers,
Mario Sultan
