Growing up, pigs and flamingos were always my favorite animals. I loved them being pink, and idealized their cuteness and innocence. This became obvious when I learned pigs don’t stay cute and pink forever, and that they usually end up rolling around in their own feces and mud…consequently they lost their place in the “favorite animals” category.
On the other hand, flamingos never lost their ranking and to this day deeply inspire me. Flamingos are born white, and they get their pinkish colors from eating shrimp. In a book I discovered that flamingos pee on their legs to cool themselves off, which is brilliant but smelly. And a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance, which sounds like a super groovy dance move.
But beyond all of this, there is much more to flamingos. Aside from being pink and playful, they have a dark side too. Underneath their wings, contrasting the soft and deep shades of pink, are jet-black feathers which are easily missed if they are not flying.
And this is where I find you and me...in the black feathers of flamingos.
Let me explain. We all have our questionable and embarrassing moments, emotional messes, and "regrets...". We all intimately know the pangs of shame and guilt which whisper to us of our unworthiness and uselessness here on Earth. In ways, we feel like we are not allowed to show up as we are—we simply are not enough. So we begin to shape-shift and hide. We try to cover the darkness in hopes of feeling an ounce of worthiness, acceptance, and love.
But, what if we are doing it wrong? What if the darkness is where we discover more of ourselves? And what if, instead of covering it up, we embraced it as our gateway to growth?
You see, when flamingos fly, we can see all of them—the bright and beautiful alongside the darkness. Isn't it stunning that when flamingos are in flight—that is, when they are in-between spaces and off to somewhere new—we can observe the black underneath their wings. It is integral to their beauty. By this, I am reminded that we all have this same sort of darkness beneath our wings. And suppose we are brave enough to "endure the sharp pains of self-discovery," as said by Marianne Williamson. In that case, we can harness the power that comes from the darkness—choosing to see it all, own it all, accept it all—and then…
Fly onward.
Wings wide, proclaiming our presence and showcasing the scars and bumps we have experienced along the way.
No longer playing it small and allowing shame to consume us.
Instead, we choose to let the things hidden beneath be a testament to each of our journeys…
We choose to be seen when it is more comfortable to be hidden.
Often we think our darkest moments deem us inadequate for life and anything beautiful. Through this perception, we miss out on why we are here, overlook the lessons we are meant to learn, and forget to enjoy life. Flamingos are our reminder that the past does not disqualify us in the present, and it is safe to let our black feathers peek through. We do not need to put on a show and project perfection, as we tirelessly shuffle to hide the darkness and mishaps. A more courageous approach is to accept every area of our lives, thus integrating the darkness with the light, and show up just as we are.
We are worthy in the here and now...
Free to pursue our goals and live our dreams...
With nothing to hide or prove.
And if you forget it, allow flamingos to be your encouragement.
With love and light—I am rooting for you.
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