Are you the King of your Jungle?

Lion V Cheetah

Cheetahs..The world's fastest land mammal. It can run at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour, and can cover 23-26 feet in ONE stride.

Lions...Nicknamed the 'King of the Jungle'.  Their roar can be heard up to 5 miles away. The most powerful of all animals and fearless. 

As I was working out today, I was looking at one of the televisions above the stair master.  The screen that caught my eye was on some animal documentary comparing large cats in the wild. This one in particular was comparing cheetahs to lions. Being a Leo, I'm partial to lions. Watching them move within this film was breathtaking and humbling.  A male lion averaging 400-500 pounds, with their amazing manes and staggering stature...it is no wonder adjectives such as majestic, power, courage, and nobility are used often in their descriptions.  

The cheetah was stunning. Graceful, agile, and incredibly fast making its' beauty short lived to those close enough.  Their speed enables them the ability to attack you before you're able to recognize they are even there.

The fastest pitted against the strongest. Why the comparison? When I watched this it reminded me of the question that arose when the Ravens played the Pats some years ago in the super bowl. Who wins super bowls? Offense, or defense? The strongest versus the fastest. I suppose if you are the best at a particular thing within the same 'game' you are going to be compared to the other great thing.

I could go on about the animals separately. It was a fascinating piece. What I found interesting though, was the way the cheetah evened out the match up. You see, if a lion and a cheetah come in contact with one another, the cheetah, of course, can out run a lion...BUT for how long? Eventually, the cheetah needs to come up for air, and the lion then has an opportunity to catch up and pounce. ONCE these two animals are head to head, the cheetah stands NO chance in being able to defend itself. The lion's strength outweighs that of its' 150 pound counterpart, and the cheetah knows this. What do cheetahs do then to keep from becoming extinct at the hands of the lion?  They kill the lion's cubs. Wow. I know I cannot beat you, so I cripple your lineage.

This made me think of a lot of different things, but what I wanted to focus on within this write up is the magnitude of that type of power. Imagine being SO powerful, that people KNOW they would not win if given a chance to challenge you. So, what do they do? They kill your children to keep your legacy from continuing. They take something close to you that weakens your army, and your spirit. They recognize your strength, and utilize a back door method of attack.  We've seen this in history and in movies where great emperors, warriors and leaders who conquered many were attacked through their bloodline. The Gladiator, Braveheart, Jesus... :)

The method of attack and the related item in question that is stolen from you can be related to many things physical or not. Children, family, spouses, money, joy, peace, stability, security,....My thoughts. Am I powerful? Are you powerful? Do people fear you? Not fear as in scared. Fear as in respect. Will you leave a presence that others recognize? A truth they won't question. Do YOU believe in it?

And , what are you leaving behind? Not just in children, family, lineage, but teachings, thoughts, impressions,.. how do you 'touch' people you encounter? Are you king? Or just a predator...