I'm Not a Duck?
Reflecting in your goodness, beauty, and gifts.
By Anne Marie Bennett from Through the Eyes of SoulCollage® | Posted 1/7/21
Several years ago a nearby theatre staged a production of the musical Honk! Based on the story of the Ugly Duckling, it was performed by adults in creative costumes which gave the impression that they were animals.
I was working in the box office there at the time, so I was lucky to be able to see Honk! several times during its three-week run. My favorite scene in the show was near the end, when the actor portraying the Ugly Duckling reappeared wearing starched white jeans, a pristine white ski jacket, dark sunglasses, and a brand new (also white!) baseball cap.
Ugly suddenly noticed that he wasn't wearing scruffy, torn clothes and nerdy glasses anymore, and said in total bewilderment, "I'm not a duck?" Then his amazement turned to joy as he shouted more confidently, "I'm not a duck. I'm a swan!" I can still hear the inflection in the character's voice as he reveled in his new-found beauteous transformation with awe and pride.
I took a lesson home with me every night from that show. I also took an affirmation—
I'm not a duck … I'm a swan.
I'm not a duck … I'm a swan.
And then I turned that affirmation into a ritual.
On my daily walks that summer, I passed a house which had two verdigris duck statues on the stone wall on either side of the driveway. When I came to them, I would touch the first duck and say to myself, "I'm not a duck." Then I would touch the second duck and say, "I'm a swan." And I would do the exact same thing on my way back home.
This little ritual is one that still brings me comfort and joy. Every time I touch those ducks and say those words, I am reminded that I really am a swan — with goodness, beauty, gifts, and something important to say.
Time for Reflection
Create an affirmation of your own and incorporate it into a ritual that reminds you of your goodness, beauty, and gifts.
Make a SoulCollage® card for your own transformation (inner or outer) from "Ugly Duckling" to "Swan."
Learn more: SoulCollage® Instructions
©2015 Anne Marie Bennett. All rights reserved.
Through the Eyes of SoulCollage®
Anne Marie Bennett is a published author, self-taught artist, and SoulCollage® Facilitator. more
This series is excerpted with permission from Through the Eyes of SoulCollage®: Reflections on Life Via the SoulCollage Lens by Anne Marie Bennett.