Three Cheers for the Underdog

Some might say I’m witty. My husband would be quick to tell you that I am determined, while my best friends would say I am sarcastic. I, however, have always seen myself as the “underdog” - the kind of person people never seem to bet on or against and always seems to surprise you.

Up until a few years ago, this identity always followed me, or more bluntly, haunted me. I could never do or be enough to have other people offer up the kind of strong faith and support they would give to someone they truly believed in. These sentiments have been both my mantra and my muse, and to be frank, my perspective of feeling underrated has often deterred the chances I wish I could have taken.

This is not me intentionally being self-deprecating - it’s my truth. The observations and emotions that are surrounded by my underdog thought process have led me to both explore and acknowledge new and beautiful sentiments about who I am and how I see and affect the world around me.

Through vast and unique situations with others, I have learned that my unexpected abilities or overlooked strengths help me to be set apart. The most significant nuggets of wisdom I learned once I accepted my underdog self was the beauty of surprise and the peace and confidence of self-affirmation. Here’s how these characteristics have shed so much light onto my otherwise overshadowed life. ›››

Words by Beverly Paul-Cooper

Image by Timothy Paul Smith