Circle Of Life...Lessons
Like everyone else, as a child, I loved ‘The Lion King’.
I remember, years ago watching it and I was so entertained. I laughed, cried and loved the message behind ‘Hakuna Matata’, but that was it. It was just a movie.
Watching it again recently as an adult, I was taken aback and newly inspired. All I could see were the paralleled life lessons smartly burrowed in a timeless movie. Here were the lessons that rose up for me:
carefully select your inner circle
There baby Simba was, chatting it up with Scar on the daily. This was supposed to be his uncle - a beloved, trustworthy member of his tribe - so, not only did that affiliation encourage Simba to keep company with Scar, but it also emboldened him to continue sharing his dreams and future aspirations.
Lesson #1:
Anyone can filter toxicity into your space; whether it’s jealousy, ill intentions or the desire to see you never reach your highest potential. Just because someone holds a familiar title in your life, that doesn’t automatically exclude them from this possibility. Select your inner circle, wisely. You can show love and compassion from a healthy emotional distance, if necessary. Not everyone is meant to ride it out on the inside with you.
P.S. Remember the antelope that Simba accidentally frightened in the forest? After he was startled, he released a sigh of relief, then said; “Oh, Simba, it’s you. I thought that it was a real lion.” See, although Simba knew he was a lion, he didn’t know that he was a LION lion. The antelope knew this. As long as Simba didn’t realize his true identity, the antelope was cool. Look out for the antelopes in your life, ya’ll. The ones who are completely cool being around you, as long as you don’t know who you really are.
own Your identity
That was the theme of the entire movie for Simba; remember who you are. He was constantly exchanging the idea of his true identity for a false notion that his enemy depicted. He felt unworthy. He was constantly reminded of his past, his pain, his mistakes and so much of this, was built on lies. But, that didn’t even matter because Simba thought that they were true - and he lived a great deal of his life with this ideology.
Lesson #2:
We are all children of a King. A Divine Father who has established our value and worth the moment we received life. We’ve inherited great things, not because of what we have or haven’t done, but because of who we belong to and His marvelous grace. This is our identity - and no enemy, no lies, no past, no pain and no mistakes of ours, can ever take that from us. Step into who you are, Queen/King. This is your inheritance.
Trust yourself
I loved that moment when Nala, despite the confinements established around her, couldn’t ignore the prodding deep down inside that told her that something greater was out there. She couldn’t shake that feeling, even though she had no idea Simba was still alive, that she was meant to go somewhere and do something. If she had allowed fear to establish residence in her spirit, and didn’t leave the pride, she would have never found Simba.
Lesson #3:
You are meant for wondrous things; things that extend beyond the circle of your knowledge. You may not always know where to go or how to accomplish these things, but when you hear that voice inside that says ‘go’, do it. Fear is but a fragment when compared to the power of your purpose on this earth. Spend time quieting the noise around you. Quell the distractions. Sit and listen deeply. Trust what you hear. And go.
Throw that curve ball
I got chills this time around when Simba reappeared and Scar saw him for the first time. “Mufasa?” he questioned. He was confused. He saw his own brother; strong, mighty and confident. He had mistaken one for the other because, in that moment of alignment, Mufasa and Simba resembled each other in identity and purpose.
lesson #4:
When we operate in our God-given purpose, we begin to take the form of God who lives in US. We show up and people do a double-take. They have to squint their eyes, shake their head and look closely again, because they see us in our God-given form and image. The goal is to see ourselves in that image of truth, as well. Life is going to tell you that you’re someone/something you’re not and demand that you think it too. But, don’t be afraid to throw that curveball at the world, letting people know that you know who you are, even if they don’t.
Don’t give up
When those seven hyenas attacked Simba in Scar’s stead, I was so pressed, I almost jumped out of my seat with the quickness! Scar was so riddled with fear, he couldn’t even fight fairly in his own war. But, in order to press toward his goal, Simba had to push through and fight every single one of those hyenas - fair or not.
Final lesson:
Life isn’t fair, and I hate that. As children, we are taught the difference between right and wrong. We learn that if you’re a good person, life will be grand, and if you’re a terrible person, you’ll never reach the top. But, sometimes, the balance scales tip and bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to not-so-great people. We simply don’t have all the answers and sometimes, we’ll just never know why. But, even though life isn’t fair, does that mean that we still don’t have to fight all seven hyenas that jumped us at the same time? No. Despite not having all the answers, your imprint in this world is worth every ounce of fight you have in you. Your presence matters. Your voice is powerful. We may not know everything, but know this; you are worth every swing you’ve got. Don’t give up. There is triumph on the other side. x