What does that voice in YOUR head say when you’re struggling with impostor syndrome or feeling like you’re not good enough to pursue your dream? Oddly enough, I hear, “You’re gonna do wonders…and eat rotten cucumbers.”
I’m willing to bet you’ve got an odd saying or some folktale that pops in your head too because stories are powerful, especially these generational tales that have the backing of parents, grandparents, cousins, and siblings. Even if they make no sense to most people, they still have a profound impact on us when they’re planted so deep in our DNA.
So, what’s the message that voice in your head is saying to you?
What Does It Even Mean?
For me, “You’re gonna do wonders…and eat rotten cucumbers” is a dream killer.
It says, “What makes you think YOU can accomplish that?”
It says, “You’re going to fail because you’ve never done that before.”
It says, “Don’t waste your time on dreams because they don’t come true.”
In my narrative:
Wonders = dreams, aspirations, desires, outside-of-the-box thinking
Rotten Cucumbers = failure, disappointment, what’s left when the “wonders” don’t pan out
After digging into the origins of this phrase, I learned that it was born out of fear. It was birthed as a survival mechanism. For poor farmers who depended entirely on their crops, the idea of dreaming was dangerous. There was no time for dreams, which in many cases included school, books, and thinking creatively. The priority was working the land—because failure meant your family could starve.
In that mindset, dreams weren’t just risky—they were reckless, and ending up with “rotten cucumbers” was a worst-case scenario. However, most of us here in the Western world are fortunate enough to be living in a time when we’re no longer depending on our crops for survival. And that’s something to be grateful for! So, unlike the farmer whose crops fail, “rotten cucumbers” takes on a whole new meaning for us. We’re fortunate enough to be able to take risks, knowing that failure most likely won’t lead to the worst-case scenario, but will end up being an opportunity for growth.
Learning To Dream Big
So, here’s the thing—if we never take risks, we never know what the reward could be.
And so, I’m THANKFUL for the examples of brave people who refuse to live in fear.
I’m THANKFUL for the stories of those who push past the limits placed on them, refusing to settle.
I’m THANKFUL for the dreamers who take risks, eat their fair share of rotten cucumbers (failures), and keep going.
Because, you see, failure is part of life. It’s inevitable. But it’s also the price we pay for pursuing dreams that matter.
And in the end, if we reach our goals and can accomplish “wonders,” eating a few “rotten cucumbers” along the way will be totally worth it.