When was the last time you got out of your “comfort zone”? Here’s a story, from storyteller Michael Meade, about the fact that seeking safety might be costing you something:
On the ancient savannas life pours forth in the form of teeming, feeding herds. Nearby, lions wait in anticipation of the hunt. They send the oldest and weakest member of the pride away from the hunting pack.
Having lost most of its teeth, ITS ROAR IS FAR GREATER THAN ITS ABILITY TO BITE.
The old one goes off and settles in the grass across from where the hungry lions wait.
As the herds enter the area between the hunting pack and the old lion, the old lion begins to roar mightily. Upon hearing the fearful roar most of the herd turn and flee from the source of the fear.
They run wildly in the opposite direction. Of course, they run right to where the strongest lions of the group wait in the tall grass for dinner to arrive.
“RUN TOWARDS THE ROAR,” the old people used to tell the young ones.
When faced with great danger run towards the roaring, for there you will find some safety and a way through.
Sometimes the greatest safety comes from going to where the fear seems to originate. Amidst the roaring of the threatened and troubled world, surprising ways to begin it all again may wait to be found.
Michael Meade, Excerpted from his book, The World Behind the World
What you can take away from this story:
1. Running towards what appears “safe” can be deceiving and lead to its own kind of trouble.
2. Run towards what scares you.
Look for those situations and circumstances that scare the crap out of you. You will never know your true talents and gifts if you don’t face what you fear to test yourself.
3. Things almost always seem worse in your head than they turn out to be.
Once you identify those fears, move beyond your comfort zone to face them. What you originally feared could end up being an elderly, toothless lion that can’t hurt you and is only a distraction.
4. By facing your fears, you find out what you can truly do and what’s possible.
And with each successive time you venture out toward a “scary” adventure, you’ll find that you are safe and capable. At the worst, you might fail but you’ll find out where you stand and what you have to learn. Then, at least you can figure out a way through to what you want.
And in all likelihood, you’ll live to venture out another day.
Which current “roar” are you avoiding? How might you test it to see if it really has teeth?
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