The Lion is strong, vicious, defensive, and fierce. Lions typically live in prides comprised of a majority of females and cubs, with only a small handful of male lions to defend against predators. Lions hunt incessantly, never stopping until satisfied with the result. The Lion leads the pack; he never follows. We must be Lions. Far too often in our Western world, individuals have resorted to sheep-hood: that is, the state of being coerced, being told what to do, and allowing others to decide our fate. Undoubtedly, sheep-hood is easier. Humans, like many animals, yet unlike the Lion, search for a reliable entity to absolve ourselves of responsibility in return for that which we desire. We must not trade freedom for comfort, boldness for safety, or courage for cowardice. Once we resort to sheep-hood, the hyenas hiding in their sheepskin will pounce, swiftly taking control and decimating the sheep we have become. We must stand strong, stand for what we believe in, and stand for what is right. The Lion doesn't back down into a corner when another Lion challenges him, rather he fights. He proves himself, time and time again. He doesn't let authority intimidate him. He doesn't abandon his pride because he is duped by the hyenas. No. The Lion is sharp, intelligent, and strategic with his leadership. We cannot resort to being sheep. But what happens if we all become sheep? Take a look around. The average American is overweight, spends the majority of their day doing a monotonous chore only to receive the drug of money disguised as a salary, and goes home to sorrow, loneliness, or repetition of unending tedium. Constantly stumbling through the smokescreen of addiction to alcohol, drugs, wealth, and promiscuity, we are given a temporary high through all the wrong avenues, only to be stranded at a level of melancholy even greater than before. Sheep perform the same tasks, the same routine, and the same actions day after day as a result of the coercion that is being dispersed by the government, super-corporations, and authoritarians through the posts of school boards, company boards, and "experts." Unfortunately, this is more visible now than ever, in part due to the excessive use of devices, especially smartphones. Merely glance at the tables surrounding you at a restaurant and you will see a plethora of sheep whose eyes are glued to their devices, including children. We are pacified by social media, meaningless content, and addictive algorithms while subsequently ignoring the realities of life. Technology is only one small slice of the pie that defines sheep. The sheep are indifferent to the simultaneously disappointing and gratifying realities of our world. The Lion embraces those realities through utilizing gratitude and fearlessness. Unfortunately, a large portion of our society are sheep. There is little hope for them. As Mark Twain astutely wrote, "It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." Many individuals have been greatly fooled. But conversely, many Lions are out there resting dormant. The small handful of Lions that are awake must roar loud enough to wake the sleeping Lions, to scare off the hyenas, and to create a better world for the sheep. Will you be subjected to the unhealthy, uncompromising, destructive nature of the hyenas that destine for you to remain in a sheep-like state? Or will you be brave, stand strong, and inspire courage to yourself and those around you? The choice is yours.

Following requires no effort. After pausing and reflecting on the nature of the hierarchical structures that dominate and govern the many institutions we take part in, one realizes that obedience and subservience is not only the easier route, it is rewarded. From a young age, students in primary school recognize that following directions, conforming to the "classroom norms," and making life easier for the teacher warrants approval and satisfaction. In secondary school, teenagers catch on quickly to follow the exact instructions in solving a mathematical, scientific, or literary problem, as any other method besides that which is taught is deemed incorrect. Additionally, students come to understand that writing and discussing material in line with the teacher's set of beliefs often warrants the desired grade. In the universities, students are sat in massive lecture halls listening to a disheartened professor, who further instills that compliance triumphs. After those sixteen odd years of being "taught" to obey and subsequently reap the rewards, individuals are thrown into the workforce, where they strive to be promoted through achieving rapport with the superiors in charge. Throughout the early stages of life, we are groomed to follow, to obey, and to remain on the path of submission. As if the desire to fall in line was not already innate, the systems that supposedly "serve" us only further incentivize our servitude. So why don't more individuals step up? Taking a stand is difficult. It requires swimming upstream, going against the grain, or simply facing a mob of the collective. The individual has been neglected. The individual has been led to believe that his or her voice is insignificant, when this is indubitably the opposite. When an individual is instructed by authority that certain occurrences must occur precisely as authority presents it, the individual frequently backs down, out of panic and fear. Instead of questioning, pondering, or suggesting an alternative, the individual folds to authority only to reassert and reacknowledge the immense control that authority wields. A Lion would never bow to authority when he knows authority to be blatantly wrong, acting with ill-intent, or going against the values of the Lion. A Lion will make himself known. There is no downside to speaking your mind, just as there is no downside to the Lion's roar. Words and roars are both incredibly powerful. At worse, authority ignores it. At best, they fear you tremendously. Perhaps, if enough Lions surround the authority and pressure it to reconsider previous decisions, authority will have no choice. Speaking the truth and dissenting against the collective is always admirable. Whether it be telling a bully to back off or physically backing that bully into a corner, Lions never sit idly by. Nobility never kneels to that which instructs it to surrender. Courage never willingly forfeits to those who demand submission. Lions always question, always think critically, and always stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Little acts of strength add up. Do you have what it takes to be a Lion?

When I was filming the AFLDS Actual Factual series in Naples, Florida, I searched for people on the street to interview. I came across a family, and I asked if they were up for some questions and wanted to be in the video. The response was a quick no all around. The ten-year-old son was the only one of the bunch that said yes, but they kept walking. A few minutes later, the boy broke away from his family and ran back to me to do the interview even though his family said no. This is an example of bravery and independence. The kid saw the opportunity to be on camera with me, and he took it despite what his family said. As we were doing the interview, his family came back to us to watch and cheered the boy on. That encounter tells me what kind of person he is. He looks for opportunities without letting the unknown scare him. He is a free thinker and will always have his own conclusions on things he hears throughout his life.