Jessie Richards I used to think that daffodils were a common flower, and I didn’t really care for them. Every single daffodil seemed to look like every other one, and so I never really gave this patch or that patch a second look.
Until the day I found out about the after Christmas sales at retailers like Brecks and Eden Brothers.
I was pretty surprised at all the different varieties, and I ordered quite a few.
I always enjoyed seeing the different blooms come up, but as I grew them all, I noticed the special qualities in even the most common looking ones.
Some of the traditional buttercup yellow blooms would be very tall with strong stems, others would be small and perfect for adding to boutonnieres or pressing into bookmarks.
And maybe strangely, other varieties had a perfect endearing droop.
Some had so many ruffles they looked like peonies or carnations, and others had 3-4 little white fragrant blooms, aptly named “Bridal Crown” because of their small flowers and May blooming period.
Even in flowers which looked almost identical, there would be a minor change here or there that would make them perfect for one or another application.
Bridal Crown has a yellow parallel, and those big double ruffles come in little yellow varieties too .
And people are like that too.
Even if we’re similar to another, we all have a perfect role to play, and a place where our skill set really shines.
Just because you feel like you’re just like everyone else, or that your skills or talents are mediocre, doesn’t mean that you don’t have a special quality that would make you perfect for one application or another.
If you were a daffodil –
You might not be meant to be the bride’s beautiful but delicate flower crown, but you could be the groom’s hardy boutonniere – Not many flowers can withstand the onslaught of family members’ congratulatory hugs!
Your great adaptability could make you the perfect flower for both the bridesmaid’s and groomsmen’s floral ornaments.
Your long and sturdy stems could make you perfect for the alter arrangements. Or your shorter but fragrant nature could make you perfect for the table settings at the reception.
Even the tiniest blooms can make the perfect addition to a wedding, using them as flower bows on wedding favors or turning them into little pressed flower arrangements to say thank you.
And that’s just one scenario where these different talents can be used to achieve different effects.
We can’t judge a flower’s entire worth based on a single quality, such as its suitability to make pressed flower bookmarks for instance.
Flowers, and people, have different areas where they can really shine.
Finding your unique features and benefits is the first step to showcasing your work, and being able to articulate your unique value.
Are you able to hold your head high in any weather? Is your long strong neck and graceful movement valuable to those who may watch your lead?
Are you hardy and sturdy, capable of taking a beating and continuing to wow?
Is your adaptability and universality an asset? How can you apply that unique ability to the roles you are applying for?
Are you beautiful, delicate, and fragrant? In what roles could your beauty and delicate nature be an asset?
It could even be that you, too, have the perfect droop, which makes you able to relate to a unique population in a way that others could not.
Just like these “common” flowers, you too have unique traits that may not be visible to those who don’t look for them.
This means you have to be the one to call attention to your unique traits.
And once you do, you’ll notice that the people around you will start to see them and believe in them too.
Soon, they’ll grow to appreciate your uniqueness almost as much as you.
