Top 10 Lessons to Learn From The Lion King

You never know where you can learn important lessons.

Just the other day I was watching The Lion King and I started to notice that there were some great messages for both kids and adults mixed in with the catchy songs and fart jokes from Timon & Pumbaa.

I’d recommend anyone to take the time to watch the movie and see what I mean. Just in case you don’t have the time, I’ve compiled a list of what I think are the top 10 lessons we all can learn from the film.

Top 10 Lessons to Learn From The Lion King:

10. It Is Good To Have Big Lions On Your Side

When Timon & Pumbaa stumble upon an exhausted Simba, they don’t save him just because they are nice guys. They keep him around because “little lions grow up to be big lions.” They see the importance of having a big lion on their side. Much like I talked about in my post yesterday, we all need support. Timon & Pumbaa saw that a big lion could be beneficial to them so they were happy to add a third member to their group. Where are the big lions in your life?

9. There Is More To Being King Than Getting Your Way

Simba tells Mufasa that he thought a king could do whatever he wants. Mufasa has to explain to his son that there is more to being in charge than just getting your way. This is a tough lesson for successful people to learn. Unfortunately many of us feel the same away anytime we succeed in our life. I think it boils down to what motivates us to succeed. Do we want to become the king or queen of our field just so that we can do whatever we want? I hope not.

8. A Parent’s Influence Lasts Forever

Mufasa only had a short time on the Pride Land with his son. But that doesn’t mean his influence didn’t have a lasting impact. In addition to sacrificing his life for Simba, Mufasa shows the power of great parenting when he teaches his son lessons from beyond the grave. In real life, we won’t see storm clouds who look like our parents (and sound like James Earl Jones), but we can still feel their impact long after they are gone.

7. Remember Who You Are

Speaking of the importance from #8, Mufasa’s big lesson to Simba from the clouds is to remember who you are. Simba needed to be reminded that he was the king and he had a land to protect. When times get tough (or busy) it can be difficult to remember who we are. We can get caught trying to become someone we are not. Or even worse we can get caught trying to ignore who we are. Once Simba remembered who he really was, it was easy for him to see what he had to do next.

6. “You Gotta Put Your Behind In the Past” – Pumbaa

Okay, so I still have a soft spot for fart and butt jokes. But what Pumbaa is trying to say is a pretty good message. What he actually meant was that you have to put your past behind you. Much like the Coach K quote from the Jay Bilas book, “Next play”, you can’t dwell on the past. Whether the past was good or bad, we can’t get caught with our behind in the past!

5. Being Brave Doesn’t Mean You Go Looking For Trouble

Here’s another lesson Mufasa teaches Simba. Simba and Nala are nearly killed after they get caught by the hyenas in elephant graveyard. Simba tries to say that he laughs in the face of danger, but Mufasa explains that you can be brave, but don’t be stupid. Don’t go looking for trouble just because you think you can handle it.

4. Be Prepared

This is from the song Scar sings to the hyenas when explains that he is going to kill Mufasa and become king. Despite Scar’s wrong motives, his message can still be motivational. He says, “Be prepared for a chance of a lifetime. Be prepared for sensational news.” Are we prepared for a chance of a lifetime or sensational news? What can we do now to make sure we are prepared for those situations?

3. Change Is Good But It Is Not Easy

This is a lesson Rafiki teaches Simba when the mandrill is helping the lion remember who he is. Simba has become accustom to a carefree life of eating bugs and sleeping all day. Rafiki shows him he needs to change. Much like any of us would be in that circumstance, Simba is resistant to change because it is difficult. Just because it is difficult doesn’t mean it is wrong. Spoiler alert, Simba’s life becomes 10 times better in the long run because of the changes he made after talking to Rafiki. We can make this happen through subtle change in our own life.

2. You Can’t Hakuna Matata Forever

As Timon & Pumbaa explain, Hakuna Matata means no worries. It means you don’t have a care in the world. How great would it be to live Hakuna Matata 24/7. Unfortunately we can’t do that. It is one thing not to worry, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore real life. Simba learns that he has rules and responsibilities. We too have responsibilities that we can’t ignore. But Hakuna Matata is still a great song!

1. You can run from your past or you can learn from it.

Rafiki tells Simba, “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” Now you may be saying, “I thought in #6 you told us that have to put our past behind us?” Yes, that is correct, I did. But you past needs to be behind you because you learned from it and grew because of it. Not because you ran away from it. Simba was running away from a past he was ashamed of. It took him awhile to learn that he couldn’t run forever. He needed to confront his past and learn something from it. Where in our lives are we running from our past? What is one small step you can take to stop running and start learning?