The tigers in us

"You've got two tigers in you; the weak one that doesn't believe and the one that does. Which one will win? The one you feed." I heard those lines from the movie "Dragon Eyes" and they stuck for their sheer beauty and veracity.

I started wondering why the metaphor of a tiger was used, and not another animal in the cat family like the mighty lion which is nicknamed the king of beasts. Then it struck me that the reason the tiger was used is because the tiger hunts alone; something that is akin to human beings. 

Once a man becomes an adult he essentially becomes independent and must begin to hunt for his own meat or he will suffer the ridicule of society as a dismal failure. For example when I was still a student I had many free sources of income from my parents and relatives. But after graduation the taps immediately closed because I was now a man who they expected to support himself. 

In life some battles are fought with others but essentially every being is on his own just like an adult tiger wins or loses alone. Even in death you stand before the Judgement Seat of God alone. Understanding this is essential in helping me and you to hustle harder rather than sleeping and expecting to be taken care of by our richer friends and relatives. 

I suspect that the tiger's majestic standing, amazing beauty and awesome gracefulness are amplified by the fact that it's not indebted to anyone since it supports itself 100 percent. It's a hard thinker, planner and executor that marks and defends its territory from trespassers and naysayers. There's a whole lot to learn from how this striped predator perfects its hunting and survival skills without the sense of entitlement that most Ugandans suffer from. 

To make a successful charge in life, a human being must feed his strengths and starve his weak side. To dwell on past failures or give room to anxieties only drags you down yet you and I were created to sprint like that great cat -- the tiger.