The Lion in a Cage

Hey family!

Full transparency, the years I spent as a walk-on were some pretty dark times. Of course, I met my best friends and got a chance to be part of some amazing experiences, but it was really hard for me to enjoy that period of time because my identity and self worth were tangled up in my status on the team. 

So when my status on the team didn’t really amount to much, neither did my level of self esteem. Over the course of a few years, the line between who I was on the team and who I was at my core became pretty blurred. And since I could no longer rely on external validation through my sport to prove to myself that I was somebody worth something, I struggled through this for years. 

Eventually, I came across something that caused me to shift my perspective and the way I viewed myself. I saw a quote a couple years ago (and even used it as a Instagram caption lol) that said, “a lion is still a lion, even in its cage.”

Like, well obviously…yeah.

But when I thought about it a little deeper, I realized that the meaning of this quote is that the lion, no matter what circumstance it’s in, is still a lion. It’s still just as dangerous, still just as powerful, and still just as strong. At the end of the day, you still couldn’t pay me any amount of money to get in a cage with a lion. The cage has no impact on what the lion truly is. That lion is still a lion. 

And in the same way, regardless of the external circumstances, I am who I am. I realized then that my status on the team may have been what it was, but that didn’t take away from my worth or value as a human. Even when it feels like I’m in a cage, I know that none of what’s going on around me can change, alter, or diminish who I am inside. 

And this incredibly simple concept freed me from moving through life as though I was less-than. It empowered me to know that no matter what I was faced with, only I could determine my worth, not the circumstances. 

So for his week, I just want to leave you with a simple truth: no matter what situation you find yourself in, you are still just as dangerous, still just as powerful, and still just as strong. And that’s a really powerful thing, because as much as we’d want to, we can’t control everything that happens in our lives. But who you are is who you are regardless of what’s going on around you. Despite all the chaos, the unfair circumstances, and the moments of feeling lost, remember that you can always fall back on the fact that you’re still worthy and someone with value regardless of what life is throwing at you. (And you always will be!)

So live boldly despite what your situation may look like at the moment. Because while our situations can change at the drop of a dime, who you are at your core will stand the test of time! (Yes, I do dabble in lyricism)

This week, consider this quote by Eckhart Tolle: 

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who u are at the deepest level.”

Reflection Question of the week: No matter what my circumstances look like, who am I, and who will I always be? (Helpful hint: think positive attributes: perseverant, strong, kind, brave, etc. No need for self-deprecation here…how we talk about ourselves does matter!)