From Shame to Fuel

Some time ago I wrote about how a tough criticism changed my life for the better. Today another moment came back to me, one where someone mocked me for saying something wrong.

I was about fifteen, and my exposure to English had been minimal and entirely self-taught. We were at a beach camp with people from Costa Rica and a group of missionaries from the U.S. One of the missionary ladies said something to me, and I answered, “I too.”

One of my “friends” instantly burst out laughing in front of everyone and corrected me: “It’s ME TOO!” The whole group went quiet, and I just wanted to disappear. I walked away embarrassed and ashamed.

Back then I barely knew any conversational English, because I had learned almost all of it through reading. But that awful moment made one thing painfully clear: I needed to learn more, and faster. Once again, someone had hit me with a painful truth, and it was up to me, and only me, to decide what to do with it. I could grow, or I could stay stuck in the shame of not being able to speak another language well.

It took time, but I chose growth. And here I am, still learning, still wrestling with vocabulary and accent, but determined to turn that awkward memory into fuel.

Have you ever felt that way? If someone has criticized you, mocked you, or tried to tear you down, do not let it freeze you. Instead of wearing the shame as though it belongs to you, use that painful experience to push you toward where you need to go.

We often give up because we feel alone. I wrote this to let you know that others have faced struggles like yours, and that it is possible to keep going.