Do you think you are “The Ugly Duckling?”

Do you think you are “The Ugly Duckling?”

            “He felt quite glad that he had come through so much trouble and misfortune,

for now he had a fuller understanding of his own good fortune, and of beauty when he met with it…

…I never dreamed there could be so much happiness, when I was the ugly duckling.’’

                                                                                Hans Christian Anderson

                                                                                  The Ugly Duckling

                I bet everyone must know the story of “The Ugly Duckling” and at some point I assume everyone had felt like the Ugly Duckling at least once in our lifetime. We feel so inferior and think such a loser compared to others. Sometimes, we feel we do not comfit in any group and do not have anything to give to the others. However, it is just a matter of perception. If we think in negativity, we will react in a negative way.

                Just like the Ugly Duckling, he was rejected because he was too ugly or too different from others although he can swim. Actually the Ugly Duckling is not ugly at all but he is somewhat special. Unfortunately, the duck society perceives it differently and could not accept that rarity. That is how the duck society defines the term of beauty and how they react towards it. Humans also act in the same manner and hardly think that the differences are something special. However, we forget that if there were no unusual mind, then a new invention would not be found. Sometimes the absurdity or oddity will open up to the new discovery. But in the reality, our mind unconsciously tends to diminish that differences and try to compromise what we are.

                There would be no rainbow if the day was not raining and the caterpillars would not change into a beautiful butterfly if they were afraid of pupation. Sometimes people are afraid to be themselves and let the negative feelings, for instance inferiority and insecurity conquer their mind and behavior. Everyone dreams of the success but somehow fear of the hurdles and boundary. Actually it is our thinking that makes us afraid to grab the opportunity. We fear of the failures and mistakes, thus make us avoiding from learn and experiencing something new. For example, someone who wants to do a bungee jump but afraid of falling. They have the spirits but somehow their feeling and perception oppose them from doing it.

                I agree that everything is a matter of perspective and our actions actually come from how do we think about. As for me, I don’t think the Ugly Duckling story is about turning yourself into a blonde Barbie doll or doing some plastic surgery so that you can be beautiful, but it is about self-revelation and becoming who you are. That is how I perceive the Ugly Duckling story and it is no wrong to be different because our differences are our assets in our life. Of course there are many obstacles before we achieve the title of success, but if we look them in positivity, we would react in positive way too.

                “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.’’

                                                                                By the Emperor (Mulan movie)