Identity? The Quest for Personal Discovery
This exciting story of empathy and caring touches the important need to belong and to practise the culture that speaks to you.The story of chickens raising the revered species of an eagle was first shared with me by Nhlanhla Nxumalo, who at the time, worked for Miles and Associates.
It was always going to be of intruigue that a whole flock of chickens made an interesting, yet dangerous decision to take care and show love to the feared eagle. It must be accepted that the chickens were fully aware of the perils they were putting themselves under, but empathy won for the stranded, desolate eagle.
This powerful tale of identity and transformation resonated with me, highlighting how our environments shape us. Nxumalo shared this story to illustrate the impact of surroundings on our self-perception.
The eagle egg,Nxumalo explained, fell and luckily landed in a chicken’s nest. The chicken incubated the egg, and the eagle was born and bred with the chickens. The environment was meant for chickens, and so the eagle thought it was a chicken. One day, a big eagle was hunting and observed the eagle struggling to walk like the chickens. The big eagle confronted the small eagle, and the young eagle expressed multiple reasons why it was a chicken. “I was born with chickens, my mom is a chicken, and you can see I’m with my chicken family.”
The bigger eagle took the young eagle to the top of a mountain and instructed it to open its wings and fly. The young eagle resisted, accusing the bigger eagle of trying to kill it. The bigger eagle lifted the young eagle up and let it fly. Survival instinct kicked in and the young eagle opened its wings, and began to fly.
Like the eagle, we identify ourselves based on the environments we’re born into. We limit ourselves based on our genealogy and the fact that no one in our family has dared to break the cycle.
The first time I went to Europe, to the Netherlands for a professionals’ exchange program, I felt deep inside my heart that I was breaking my limitations. For months, I observed the working environment and a culture of smart work of the natives. I can boldly say today I don’t need supervision because deadlines are important to me. In every responsibility I’m given, I put all my focus.
When I returned to South Africa, I started flying higher and higher. Clients would send honorary gifts in appreciation of the work I did.
Your identity isn’t embedded in your environment. You can transform any environment into the culture you desire. You carry so much potential within you, and like the young eagle, all you need is to believe in yourself.
Sicelo Ngubane is a social entrepreneur, an inspirational speaker and a youth activist with interests in leadership and personal development. Has been with Love Life, Sibikwa Arts Centre and the South African Association of Youth Clubs
