English Phrase: Earn one’s wings
Nothing come quickly in life we all have to work hard and earn everything we receive. To earn your wings, you have to prove that you’re capable and skillful.
The expression comes from World War II and the fact that young pilots had to practice hard and learn fast during training if they wanted to fly in the war.
During the graduation ceremony, each pilot was given a small badge with wings on it signifying they had successfully graduated and secured the right to be called a pilot.
These days the key to success and earning your wings has a slightly different meaning to it. For most of us, we have to be successful in proving that we are capable and skillful at the job we’re doing and that we can work independently and unsupervised.