The Lion Among The Sheep
A lioness once died giving birth to a baby lion. A flock of sheep adopted the little lion and raised him as a sheep. The baby lion grew up believing he was a different sheep, which was a reason for jokes from the other sheep who made fun of him. That’s why he was always sad and feeling that he was missing something, but he didn’t know what it was.
One day, an older lion was hunting nearby and, seeing the flock of sheep, decided to attack them. As he was running, he saw the younger lion running away with the other sheep. Intrigued, he decided to abort the attack and chase the younger lion. When he reached him, he jumped on him, immobilizing him, and asked why he was running away with the other sheep.
The younger lion, trembling with fear, replied, “Because I’m just a little sheep. Please don’t eat me!”.
Upon hearing this, the older lion said, “This is ridiculous! You’re not a sheep, you’re a lion just like me!”.
But the younger lion insisted: “No, I know I am a sheep. Please let me go.”
Then the older lion had an idea. He dragged the younger lion to the river and asked him to look at himself in the water. Seeing his reflection, the younger lion was amazed and realized that he really wasn’t a sheep, but a mighty lion!
The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. – Carl Jung
This story of the lion raised by a flock of sheep is not mine nor is a new story. It's been around for centuries and has multiple versions. But it's essence and moral continue the same: we need to know who we really are to live up to our full potential. Sometimes we need a self-reflection time, and sometimes we need a mentor to help us.
If you look at yourself in the reflection of the water, what do you see? Who are you? What is your true nature? What are your strengths? What do you need to do to live up to your full potential? What will you do next?
