The Maasai tribe in Africa had a tradition of accepting the young men of the tribe into leadership after they protected the village herd from an attacking lion using only a spear. Once they had killed the lion, they were accepted as both a hero and a leader. The lion is one of the strongest and most feared animals in Africa. It hunts in the stealth of night, often with other lions from the pride. A lion is a fierce, lethal, killing machine… and it’s hunting you right now.

What are you trying to accomplish? What is that little doubting voice in your head saying to you? We’ve all heard it before. It’s the voice that causes us to delay our actions, make poor decisions, or just give up.

John Eldredge’s recent book titled Killing Lions is centered on a father giving sage advice to his son who is struggling with the obstacles in his life. According to Eldredge, these trials are the modern day lions we all face. Our lions come in the form of distractions, pursuing the wrong priorities, our ego, or our selfish pride. The only way to kill your lion is to face him. But to face him, you need to understand how he’s hunting you. Here are four keys to overcoming the enemy of resistance.

1 – Know that you are in his territory

One of the main reasons a lion roars is to identify his territory. He’s telling other animals and beasts they are entering dangerous territory. Anytime you attempt to take on a new project in your career or life, expect to hear the roar even though it may show up as a tiny whisper. “You don’t have what it takes. You’re not equipped for this. You’re entering dangerous territory. Why would you even consider taking this risk? You need to just go home where it’s safe.” He’s roaring at you. He intends to scare you back into your comfort zone. If you disregard the warning and press on, be prepared because he’ll change his tactics. He will attack you with lethal force.

2 – He is lethal and plays for keeps

Lions are considered the king of the jungle for a reason. They are lethal. In the Bible and in ancient history, lions are described as killing machines. Lions were used on humans in the Roman coliseum for brutal entertainment. In Babylon kings would use lions as a form of execution for their enemies. (Daniel 6:16). Peter recognized the lethal attack on our minds when he compared our enemy to a roaring lion prowling around seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Leaders know that once a new venture is started, they can expect setbacks. After a setback, when your mind is at it’s weakest, the lion strikes again. “See, I told you! You can’t do this! This will never work. Just give up now before it gets worse!” Make no mistake, this lion is lethal and he’s out to devour you. He wants you to quit! But, you’ve got this. Don’t listen to him. Now, it’s time to turn and face him!

3 – You must face your lion

You face your lion by killing your distractions. Low priority tasks will steal your focus, time and energy. We kill our distractions by making better choices and just dealing with the stress and focusing on the work. In his manifesto Do the Work, Steven Pressfield shares how we can push through the resistance by just taking that first step. Do something! Get started, even if you don’t feel totally prepared. Managing our time is really about managing our priorities and choices. Since we can’t create more time, we can only invest in the time we’ve been given. Michael Hyatt gives some great advice on how to invest our time through better priority management in his free ebook Shave 10 hours off your work week.

4 – Don’t negotiate with the enemy

He’s not done attacking yet. As you continue to fight through the lion’s territory and make progress, be prepared for the enemy to use one final strategy to stop you… negotiation. Don’t listen to that liar and don’t give up! He will whisper to you “Okay, you’ve been successful and you’ve done enough. You don’t have to change the world. Besides, you deserve a break! It’s time to slow down and just relax.” Notice his words are no longer “You can’t do it” because the lion knows you can. Now the lies have changed to “You don’t need to do it.” John Eldredge points out this method of attack in his book Wild at Heart. Eldredge suggests we overcome this attack by recognizing the seduction and avoiding the temptation to quit. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t make a deal.

Make no mistake resistance is very real. As Sun Tzu points out in The Art of War, we all need to know our enemies if we expect to defeat them. Know that your enemy will use these tactics in the battle for your mind. Don’t allow the lion to reign over your mind.   Face him. Kill your lion. You can do this.

Still facing my own lions,

RPjr

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