August 1, 2012 1 Comment
When in your life did you do something that was scary despite your fear? Where do you think fear stops you? What does it take for you to take action despite your fear.
Do you remember the movie the Lion King with its message about courage and fear through the characters of the lion cub, Simba, and his father lion, Mufasa? Mufasa had to rescue Simba who disobeyed his father’s order about not going in the Elephant Graveyard where the hyenas were hanging out. Simba then slinks off and feels terrible Simba receives a lecture from Mufasa about courage. Courage is doing something you are scared of despite your fear.
I can remember times in my life when I was terrified to do something out of my zone of comfort. I’m from San Diego and after I visited New York, I realized that this was the place where I was supposed to be. At first I thought it was just the excitement of the trip. But I kept hearing the quiet voice of my soul telling me to go to New York and make my destiny manifest.
This quiet voice became louder and more persistent and I finally accepted that it was my fate to go there. I had virtually no money, no job lined up, no place to live lined up and almost no friends and family to help me get myself established. I just had to trust myself and follow my intuition despite reason. I was completely unreasonable. My parents talked to me about doing this and I would be on my own and to not rely on them for support. They couldn’t understand why I was moving away from a strong support network and how I was going to create structure and stability in my life given my lack of resources.
Deep inside I knew I had the internal resources to create something extraordinary and to be completely self-actualized.
After a few rough months getting myself set up in New York, I ended up getting a job at the top company on my list and getting an apartment in Mid-Town for a great deal. Living in New York ended up being a catapult for my career and my finances and my standard of living shot up 800%. I got to work in an industry that I loved and I became very connected to my clients and deeply valued by them as well.
At the end of the Lion King, Simba is faced with a situation of extreme danger, fear and adversity and he wants to just shrink away and hide from it all. He is reminded that he needs to “remember who you are” and rise to the challenge of becoming the tribe’s true leader.
Have you forgotten who you are?
What would it take for you to step into uncertainty, massive discomfort and fear so that you can create or take on something larger than who you think you are?
Do you think you will need to be pushed into a situation that causes you to rethink all of the ways you are being small in your life or are you willing to get present to what you are being inauthentic with on your own accord?
5 Step Process to Write in Your Journal
- How are you short-changing your life?
- Where in your life are you afraid to take risk?
- What is preventing you from taking that risk?
- What is the worst part about not taking that risk?
- How does that make you feel?
- How will you feel 10 years from now if you still have not taken that risk?
- What is one step that you can do today to move forward?
If you are just reading these words and not taking action then examine your resistance to even taking writing down your thoughts.
The point of the exercise is to let yourself get really present to the emotional impact of not letting yourself be full self-expressed and self-actualized.
Please share your comments, reactions and feedback as a result of doing the exercise in the comments section.
Jasmine Kaloudis teaches beginner yoga, couples yoga and romantic retreats in the Philadelphia Area. She is also the author of the top 100 Mind Body Spirit Websites list, and blogs about yoga, and other mind-body-spirit topics. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
One Response to “Courage, Comfort and Reason – Lessons from the Lion King”
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When in your life did you do something that was scary despite your fear? Where do you think fear stops you? What does it take for you to take action despite your fear.
Do you remember the movie the Lion King with its message about courage and fear through the characters of the lion cub, Simba, and his father lion, Mufasa? Mufasa had to rescue Simba who disobeyed his father’s order about not going in the Elephant Graveyard where the hyenas were hanging out. Simba then slinks off and feels terrible Simba receives a lecture from Mufasa about courage. Courage is doing something you are scared of despite your fear.
I can remember times in my life when I was terrified to do something out of my zone of comfort. I’m from San Diego and after I visited New York, I realized that this was the place where I was supposed to be. At first I thought it was just the excitement of the trip. But I kept hearing the quiet voice of my soul telling me to go to New York and make my destiny manifest.
This quiet voice became louder and more persistent and I finally accepted that it was my fate to go there. I had virtually no money, no job lined up, no place to live lined up and almost no friends and family to help me get myself established. I just had to trust myself and follow my intuition despite reason. I was completely unreasonable. My parents talked to me about doing this and I would be on my own and to not rely on them for support. They couldn’t understand why I was moving away from a strong support network and how I was going to create structure and stability in my life given my lack of resources.
Deep inside I knew I had the internal resources to create something extraordinary and to be completely self-actualized.
After a few rough months getting myself set up in New York, I ended up getting a job at the top company on my list and getting an apartment in Mid-Town for a great deal. Living in New York ended up being a catapult for my career and my finances and my standard of living shot up 800%. I got to work in an industry that I loved and I became very connected to my clients and deeply valued by them as well.
At the end of the Lion King, Simba is faced with a situation of extreme danger, fear and adversity and he wants to just shrink away and hide from it all. He is reminded that he needs to “remember who you are” and rise to the challenge of becoming the tribe’s true leader.
Have you forgotten who you are?
What would it take for you to step into uncertainty, massive discomfort and fear so that you can create or take on something larger than who you think you are?
Do you think you will need to be pushed into a situation that causes you to rethink all of the ways you are being small in your life or are you willing to get present to what you are being inauthentic with on your own accord?
5 Step Process to Write in Your Journal
- How are you short-changing your life?
- Where in your life are you afraid to take risk?
- What is preventing you from taking that risk?
- What is the worst part about not taking that risk?
- How does that make you feel?
- How will you feel 10 years from now if you still have not taken that risk?
- What is one step that you can do today to move forward?
If you are just reading these words and not taking action then examine your resistance to even taking writing down your thoughts.
The point of the exercise is to let yourself get really present to the emotional impact of not letting yourself be full self-expressed and self-actualized.
Please share your comments, reactions and feedback as a result of doing the exercise in the comments section.
Jasmine Kaloudis teaches beginner yoga, couples yoga and romantic retreats in the Philadelphia Area. She is also the author of the top 100 Mind Body Spirit Websites list, and blogs about yoga, and other mind-body-spirit topics. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Hi Jasmine,
I have to say I was surprised to read here about Soul and Destiny. Today I was re-updating my personal life story in my website, and I have to say, this was possibly the single most wonderful validation I could have read.
Your words about how to overcome common-sense and reason, “leaving a strong network of support”, and follow your heart in the real world, are 100% true, and sound like music to me. My wish is for anyone to take these guidelines, very seriously, in their life.
Thank you for your words and blessings.