The Scared Lion

What scares you the most when you walk into a room full of people? Walking unnoticed to your seat or getting the attention of everyone from the moment you walk through the door till you get to your seat? We all claim that we "want" to be great but in truth, very few of us are "willing" to be. Many of us keep living like snails. The moment the spotlight is on us and an opportunity for us to shine comes our way or people seem to have interest in our abilities, we shrink into our shell of fear and insecurity immediately. Perhaps the snail thinks staying safe means hiding in its shell and avoiding attention. Little wonder why it never makes much progress in life. Hiding in it's shell immobilizes it(its Vision, its Dreams, in fact its whole life). You're never going to move forward if you continue hiding in your shell of FEAR. The irony is that we keep doing the exact opposite of what we desire. We act like the little girl that wanted to light up the whole world with her voice but was scared to come up on stage. 

List five people that you see as role models or that have inspired you. Notice anything similar amongst them? THEY ALL STEPPED OUT!!! Imagine if Chinue Achebe never wrote a book, Abraham Lincoln never contested for President, Nelson Mandela never voiced out and Beethoven never organized a concert... You wouldn't know them if they never stepped out. No matter the brilliant ideas, talents or skills you have, it's all going into the grave with you if you don't show it to the world. Take a bold step and step out Today!!! Join that Church Choir, Write that Book, Volunteer for that assignment, Speak up in that Classroom, Apply for that position, Contest for that Office... The Scared Lion is no King of the Jungle.

I conclude with a quote from Marianne Williamson:   

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."