U for Ugly Duckling

#AtoZchallenge
Ever read that story as a child? That fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen remains one of my favorites because of the glitter of hope it provides for anyone with a humble beginning.

WordWeb defines an ugly duckling as an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person. Many success stories of some of the big names circulating online are about ‘ugly ducklings’- people who were told they were good-for-nothing and yet proved them wrong by being global influencers of our time.

Living the life as an ugly duckling is a tough one because almost no one believes you are capable of being useful. When external support is non-existent, all one can count on is self-determination and persistence. Instead of being acknowledged for your efforts, all you get is ridicule and destructive criticism. Thus, it takes great strength to keep the flame within you from going out when everyone around you is doing his best to quench it.

The good news is, no one stays a duckling forever. Everyone grows and changes; some for the better; others for the worse. Our fate is not out of our control. What you see yourself to be is what you become. What a man thinks, so is he. Not everyone would appreciate your worth now and that’s okay. You’re a working progress. Soon, they would mention their association with you to prove their relevance.

(c) Google Images.

Humble beginnings may not be pleasant but they are the periods that we learn so much in store of what is ahead of us.
We learn how to survive with little money and encouragement from people so when we get to the point where the whole world is hailing us, we don’t let it get it our heads because we’ve come to know that the support of others can’t always be relied upon. We knew we were beautiful at the time when everyone called us ugly so when their proclamations changed, it wasn’t news because we already knew.

Just as the ugly duckling grew to be a beautiful swan, so will you if choose not to stare at yourself in the mirror of your critics. You get to build up your resistance system to the negative energy people try to throw at you. And when your time to blossom arrives, no one can take away your shine.

So when someone calls you ugly, good-for-nothing, worthless, slow, dumb or anything harsh, don’t let it get to you. See yourself as beautiful, cherished, useful and indispensable and work towards it. Your time will surely come.

“Do not despise the day of small beginnings…” – Zechariah 4:10

© Josephine Amoako 2016