Which Simba Are You?

I texted a friend.

Me: I am going to watch ‘The Lion King’

Him: Hakuna Matata

For those of you who haven’t seen the film, it begins with Simba (then a young lion) being proudly introduced to the animals in the Pride Lands. Simba is the son of King Mufasa and destined to become king one day.  However, early in Simba’s life, Mufasa dies in a stampede and Simba is led into believing that this was his fault. He is advised to run away and never come back. So the little lion flees his kingdom and during his exile, he makes new friends who teach him the principles of Hakuna Matata (it means no worries). Simba embodies those and has a peaceful upbringing while in exile. Later, Nala, his childhood friend, finds him and convinces him to return to protect his kindgom and reclaim what is rightfully his, which he does.

The film is a total treat and pure treasure. As for today, I’ll focus on the two dimensions of Simba’s life that stand out for me.

Son of Mufasa

The first Simba I saw was the son of Mufasa, a future king. This was the Simba that we meet at the start and then later again upon his return to the kingdom. This is a Simba that embodies sheer resolve and symbolises servant leadership.

Hakuna Matata

The second Simba was exiled lion living what many would believe to be a peaceful and worry-free life with his friends. This is the Simba who lives to make the most of each day. 

I want to explore these for two reasons:

Genuine Worry-Free Living Is Embedded In Purpose

While Simba embraced Hakuna Matata at a superficial level, we know that deep within, he had buried tremendous pain and shame. For example, when the others gazed at the stars, they saw balls of fire. Simba, on the other hand, thought of his father’s words about his ancestors looking down on him. Such moments upset him.

Upon returning to his kingdom,  he took on what would optically be a much harder life. Yet, in facing up to his fears and reclaiming his rightful place as king, I reckon he would live a much more profound and fulfilled life for it.

Just because it’s right for someone else does not make it right for you

The second thing I want to touch upon is you. This is because I want to be totally clear that there is nothing wrong about living a worry-free life (the Hakuna Matata way) or taking on new battles each day (the Son of Mofasa way).

This isn’t about right or wrong at all, but about knowing which one you associate with.

Comparing this with day-to-day life, I know many of you making critical corporate decisions that move millions if not more. Equally, I know many of you planning meals that will be right for the entire family. I try and juggle both and sometimes drop the ball on one or the other. Neither of us is more right than the other.

Intrigued by what others think, I did a twitter poll asking ‘Which phase of Simba’s life do you relate to’? Click here to see the results. On a personal level, many people think I can afford to ‘chill out more’ and take on lesser work and fewer risks but that may as well be living someone else’s life.

I’ll pen off here leaving you with just key points. Hakuna Matata or Son of Mufasa, just remember to be you. Likewise, let’s not be judging everyone with the same lens. Your experiences are unique to you and your choices are driven by your personality and your experience.

If you see the sky and see balls of fire, so be it, if you see your ancestors smiling down on you, that’s cool too. Just make sure you keep looking up.

As for which I am…

I texted back: Son of Mufasa.

A quick reminder before I pen off, I am also a speaker and a coach so please feel free to browse my site for details and feel free to reach out for speakingcoaching and writing projects. You can reach me on  +44 7817256077 or drop me a line on vinitaramtri@gmail.com.

For more of my articles and videos, visit my website, vinitaramtri.com

Written by Vinita Ramtri. Rights Reserved.

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