Big Fat Lion

During a conversation with a mentor the other day I was shaken to the core.  He asked me if I was a “fat lion”.  “What”, I said. “ I’m a little thick around the middle these days but a fat lion?”  After a quick laugh he began to explain.   How does the king of the jungle, the master of all beasts become pacified in a cage in a zoo?   The ferocity and power and cunning all caged up. It’s simple.  He’s being fed.  He’s being given what he needs to survive but not what he wants to survive.  He’s forgotten how to hunt.  (Ironically in the wild the women do the hunting but let’s just go with the analogy for now). 

In most of our lives we find ourselves in a similar situation.  Our natural abilities dulled and numbed after so many years sitting in a cube.  We are rewarded with better salaries and better cars and better houses, but we forget where our true passions exist.  Sooner or later everyone comes to a day of reckoning.  They realize all those dreams and ideals they had in their youth are starting to die.  The problem is, by that point we’re already “fat lions”.  We’ve forgotten how to hunt and to survive in the wild. 

The challenge to each of us is to tap into our true passions while we still can.  Be courageous and brave and step into something dangerous.  Shake your life up while you still can.  So where do you begin?  Here’s a great start for you, Todd Skinner’s book Beyond the Summit.  It’s a great read about defining your goals and “summits” of life.  You can’t ascend the mountain if you don’t know what it is. 

I know how hard it is to step outside of your comfort zone.  I’m trying to do it right now.  In fact, I’m going to be trying to do it for the rest of my life.  Why, because if I’m uncomfortable, then I’m growing.  And everyone knows growing can be painful. 

Comments

[Jeff Payne]

Britt --- This is the best article I've read in quite some time. The lesson you have shared is of immense value. I believe the discomfort of not knowing all the answers keeps many people from reaching their potential and therefore they seek comfort. Instead of being comfortable by having all the answers, they should take comfort in searching (hunting) for the answers. To search for the answers requires we go where the answers can be found which is often new terrain. Our pull power (beliefs) is what allows us to move beyond the beaten path towards our destination. Most people rely on will-power which only sustains for a while. Pull power says there is a belief that the answers are out there, all we need to do is hunt for them. It then becomes easier to begin to make a path where no footprints show the way. This is the road less traveled but the path that's most rewarding. Thanks for inspiring me today!

Jeff Payne
JPayne Mortgage
www.jpaynemortgage.com