Not Flying, Not Singing: The Beauty of Quiet Transformation

I love watching Korean and Chinese shows, and above all, I love proverbs; the wisdom they carry seeps into the soul and settles there, giving you endless things to ponder about.

Let's get back to foreign shows. In one of the shows I was watching, an old proverb caught my attention: 불비불명 (不飛不鳴), which translates to “no flying, no singing.” (I used good old Google and AI to help me, so if I got it wrong, I ask for grace.) The proverb comes from a longer saying about a bird that stays quiet, perhaps stationary, for years. At first glance, it appears to be dormant. Nothing moving, nothing changing. Complete silence, and some will even say, useless. Then suddenly takes flight, soars so high, and sings so loudly that the world around it is astonished. Like a wrecking ball, it bursts through all the noise and draws attention as it comes into its own.

Does that sound familiar? I bet you have seen that before, experienced that yourself, or watched it unfold from afar. Anyone who has lived through a season of hidden transformation knows that silence often holds the most blaring outcomes of all. This proverb is not really about stillness. It is about the beauty of quiet transformation

In our personal lives, we measure growth by what others can see. But real transformation seldom begins where people can witness it or tamper with it. Transformation begins in the quiet places, the questions you ask yourself in the dark, the habits you build without applause. The hardship you endure as you are being prepared, or as the young one will say, "as you are cooking."

The potency of stillness reminds us that not flying doesn’t mean not growing, and not singing doesn’t mean not knowing your voice. Sometimes the transformation that matters most happens offstage: in the midnight wrestling matches with doubt, in the quiet, painful, lonely rebuilding after failure. In the moments where no one is watching, you keep choosing to rise after each fall. If your progress feels invisible, you might just be in your 불비불명 “not flying, not singing: the beauty of quiet transformation phase. It is the chrysalis before flight. Don’t rush it. Trust it. The silence is sacred. Let it cook.

The same is true in our careers and leadership journeys. We often celebrate leaders for their visibility rather than their discipline. But genuine leadership is formed in the unseen hours. The hidden work that speaks loudest teaches that the real power lies in the quiet hours of learning, refining, and showing up without applause, maybe even with a few tomatoes thrown at you. Essentially, preparation and positioning decide longevity; premature performance only creates noise. Your rise doesn’t produce power; it exposes the strength that was already there. So, how much power are you honing, studying, and strategizing to gain? You are not behind; you are loading.

We see this same truth mirrored in personal finance. Wealth forms quietly before it ever announces itself. Silent steps that build loud legacies show that every transfer to savings, every budget line, every “no” to impulse spending is a quiet note of financial stewardship. You might not be flying yet, but your wings are forming through consistency, not comparison. Who are you racing anyway? When the time comes, your results will speak so loudly they’ll silence both the doubt and the doubters.

And for many of us navigating identity and resilience, especially Black women, immigrants, and First-Anythings, this proverb carries an even deeper meaning. So much of our brilliance begins in the shadows of systems that overlook us. Identity and resilience: Being unseen is not the same as being unworthy. Our silence is not absence. It is a strategy. We are not waiting for permission to shine; we are gathering strength to rise in fullness. When we finally speak, move, or lead, it never happens suddenly. It is the sound of years of transformation and evolution, finally breaking through with no apologies.

불비불명 (no flying, no singing) is an invitation to honor the chapters of your life that don’t look pronounced or impressive. It is permission to value the seasons of rebuilding, wisdom-gathering, healing, and toughening. Not every stage is meant for performance. Some seasons are meant for silent preparation. Some seasons are where you build the muscles that will carry you into the conquest that follows.

So if you are in a moment where nothing seems to be moving, where your breakthroughs feel late, where your voice feels quiet, take heart. You are not delayed. You are transforming. You are in your 불비불명 (no flying, no singing) phase; the sacred quiet before the undeniable elevation. And when your time comes, you will soar higher than where you started and sing louder than what you survived.

The world will call it sudden. You will know it as preparation revealed. This is Not Flying, Not Singing: The Beauty of Quiet Transformation. Stay there.

Be gentle with yourself,

Celestina

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