Who are you? Meek or fierce? Are you “baaaaing” or “roaring”? Follower or leader?

Perhaps you have forgotten your true identity.

The parable below struck me deeply. I decided to share my version of it with you this week. See how you relate to the characters in the story.

The story goes something like this.

Once upon a time there was a flock of sheep living together in a pasture. One of the sheep looked different than the others. His name was Rex. The other sheep repeatedly told Rex that he was just like them. The adult sheep taught him how to act like a sheepto graze, eat grass, and be part of the group.

For a number of years he lived like a sheep. He would “baa” even though often he felt the urge to roar. One time he did roar the others made fun of him. He was embarrassed. So he decided it was best to “baa;” he didn’t want trouble with his friends.

When he admitted to dreaming of life in the jungle, the older sheep reprimanded him, “These pastures are good enough for you. Stay here where you are supposed to be.” He often felt the urge to move ahead but others told him he was causing problems. They liked to move slowly as a flock. Rex also wanted to journey independently but the flock felt that was ridiculous.

One day Rex was grazing near a stream. He approached the water’s edge for a drink. As he bent to drink, he caught a glimpse of himself in the water. That day, for the first time in his life, Rex really saw himself. He noticed that he looked nothing like a sheep. He was a lion! He was different, unique. He was strong. He looked regal with his fur coat and mane. For a moment he was overcome with excitement. This small glimpse confirmed to Rex that he was not just an ordinary member of the flock.

The next moment fear came up. Rex had grown accustomed to a life as a sheep. He was comfortable in the flock. What would the others think if he followed his heart and emerged as a powerful lion? Yet, Rex was bored. He was tired of living like the rest of the sheep. He wanted to break free.

Though he felt scared, courage began to build in his heart. Knowing his true identity gave Rex the guts to use his strength to move away from the group. He left the pasture. Freedom was finally his. He had found his voice and he roared at the top of his lungs. Gradually he became quiet in his confidence. He could choose to roar or be quiet. He explored the highlands and moved at his own pace. He found the rhythm of life he had longed for. He finally felt comfortable in his own skin. At last, he was in sync with himself.

Many of us are so conditioned that we remain in groups even after we’ve outgrown them. We follow the crowd blindly trying our best to fit in. We are careful not to stand out too much so that we are accepted. We stick with the status quo even though we long to break free, to express ourselves in ways that resonate with our spirit. We live prisoners to mental programming that has caused us to believe “we can’t”, “we shouldn’t” and even “we can’t follow our hearts.” And so we live in our heads playing over and over again the negative programs we’ve picked up along the way. We feel boxed in and miserable. Yet we wear a sheep-like smile to give others the impression that we are “doing just fine.”

I encourage you to look in a mirror this week. Really look at yourself. Look beyond the surface. Take time to see yourself with new eyes. Take off the glasses of self-judgment you’ve been told to wear. Ask yourself, “Who am I and how do I want to live my life?” Let answers come from your heart rather than from your head.

Smile as you see yourself. Let go of ideas of style and physical attractiveness. Instead, notice the uniqueness of your face. Gaze into the bright and sparkly gleam of your own eyes. See the genuineness of your smile. You are incredible, aren’t you? Enjoy this moment of self-appreciation. Feel your energy as you dare to admire yourself.

It’s ok to do this. You aren’t an egomaniac if you do. You are simply connection to your spirit as it expresses through the body you’ve chosen for this journey. If you find yourself unable to do this, ask yourself why? Then see if you can’t at least find one or two things that you like about yourself.

Now, try to hear your own voice. What is it that you have not been saying that you have in your heart? What is it that you’ve held back for years because you feared others might judge you or mock you or even reject you. Imagine for a moment the way life might feel if you finally gave voice to your truth. As you look in the mirror practice saying those things that you’ve suppressed. It is time for your truth to emerge.

We are all born as lions. But then we are trained to be sheep accepting without question, limitations imposed on us and sticking with the group. We plod through life even when we sense a strong, purpose and direction in our heart.

Roar, lion, roar. Break free, lion, break free. This is the way life was meant to be lived. You don’t have to stay with the flock in a pasture that’s dry and tasteless to you. Speak your truth, lion, speak it loudly.

Your assignment this week is to notice whether you act like a lion or a sheep. Do you follow the crowd hoping to fit in? Or, do you move at your own pace following the inner yearnings of your heart? Just notice. Don’t judge yourself. There is nothing wrong with the choices you’ve made so far. However, by observing these choices, you can begin to see new possibilities.

Each day this week sit for at least 1 full minute and look in the mirror. Get to know yourself in a whole new way. This time, do it without the judgments and labels others have given you and you’ve imposed on yourself. Who are you at your core? Feel the fire of passion burning within you. Open to this energy and embrace your freedom.

Freedom is available to you in each moment. Dear Lion, begin to choose freedom.

I will be in Nigeria speaking in Lagos (September 11) and Abuja (September 18) at the Advance 360 Peak Performance conference organized by Dayo Israel. The conference offers the opportunity to dialogue and engage with me, Dayo Israel, Fela Durotoye, Richie Dayo Johnson, Sir Dayo Olomu, Joshua Awesome and others on issues around Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Management, Relationship and Career issues that affect people on a daily basis. For more details and to register visit www.dayoisrael.com . If you are interested in having me speak at your business or event while I’m in town, contact my representative, Ayo Moses: 802 622 1202.