Music Therapy: Circle of life.

In the mid-1990s a movie was created. A movie about a lion cub, and his journey of coming into his own. You may have heard of it... The Lion King. I remember watching this movie over and over with my little brother, almost as much as watching Aladdin (another great Disney classic).
My favorite scene in the movie, clearly not understanding its impact until viewers watch the movie in its entirety, is the musical number "The Circle of Life". Pulling back and showing everything, all of the animals, together in this incredible world. Being mindful of life's ups and down. If it's been a while since you've heard the song, I invite you to listen below... and if you are a visual learner like I am, you can follow along with the lyrics too. :)

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give

In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life

Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars

There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

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Betrayal, rejection, an escape from responsibility, and growing strong through adversity are just a few of the themes in The Lion King. And as this song points out, we're all searching for our place of belonging... our niche... in this vast world. To me, this song represents the overwhelming awe of living, the opportunities we have to be in this world and the importance of not taking anything for granted.

What about you? What do you take away from these powerful words? One of the things I love most about music is that each listener takes away something different...