Rise Up - Rumi's Call to Remember Who You Are

By Alan Lowis.

There’s a moment in The Lion King that speaks to every one of us.

Simba, once destined to be king, runs from his past—burdened by guilt, fear, and self-doubt. He hides in a life of “Hakuna Matata,” pretending that nothing matters, pretending he doesn’t matter. But deep down, he knows it’s not the whole truth.

Then comes a reckoning.

Nala finds him. Rafiki smacks him on the head. The past “can hurt,” Rafiki says, “but you can either run from it or learn from it.”

And then—the moment of awakening.

Simba looks into the water and sees only himself. But Rafiki tells him to look deeper.

He sees his father, Mufasa, in the sky:

“You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Remember who you are… You are more than what you have become.”

That message isn’t just for Simba.It’s for you. 

It’s for all of us.

And Rumi said it centuries before.

This Is a Call to Remember Who You Truly Are - To Recognize the Divine Power Within You.

Not to become something else. Not to strive endlessly for worth. But to remember. You are not lacking. You are not broken. You are not small.

You are divinity in human form. A spark of the infinite.  The entire ocean within a drop. And this life? It's your sacred opportunity to awaken, to rise, and to radiate.

This is not a poem about religion. It is a poem about remembrance. It is Rumi, calling to the sleeping soul within you—

You are more than you have ever dared to believe.

More Wisdom From the Heart & Soul of Rumi

Rumi, in his other writings, repeatedly reminds us all of this truth -

You are unique. You are special. You have unique powers. You have purpose.

You matter deeply.

Your challenges are there to help you grow.

You are love.

You are light.

You are the Universe in ecstatic motion…

Read the lines below and let them fill your heart, touch your soul and remind you of who you are.

“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”

“Don’t you know yet? It is your light that lights the worlds.”

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”

“Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure.”

“Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.”

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you.”

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

“Respond to every call that excites your spirit.”

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal.”

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”

🧿 Who Was Rumi?

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī—known simply as Rumi—was a 13th-century Persian poet, mystic, and scholar whose words continue to echo in hearts around the world. Born in 1207 in what is now Afghanistan, Rumi lived much of his life in Konya, in present-day Turkey. He was not just a poet—he was a spiritual flame, illuminating the path for those seeking love, union, and truth.

Rumi’s life was shaped by deep spiritual friendship, especially with a wandering mystic named Shams of Tabriz, whose presence helped expand Rumi’s profound spiritual transformation. 

Rumi shared his longing, wisdom, and divine love in verse—composing thousands of poems that speak of the soul’s journey back to its Source.

Though rooted in the Sufi tradition of Islam, and written primarily in Persian, with influences from Arabic, Turkish, and Greek cultures of the time, Rumi’s message is universal:

Love is the bridge between you and everything.

His work crosses boundaries of religion, culture, and time.

He spoke the language of the soul—not to convert, but to awaken.

To remind us that the divine isn’t “out there”—it’s within us.

That we, too, are breath of God. Flame of spirit. Light walking.

Today, over 800 years later, Rumi remains one of the most widely read poets in the world. His words invite us to rise up—to remember our divine origin, to burn away illusion, and to live as fully as we were created to live.

✨ Rise Up

Do not turn to look

at every beggar that beckons –

you belong to me!

Do not sell yourself short,

for you are priceless.

Part the waters with your staff –

you are today's Moses.

Tear through the cloak of fog!

You are of the light,

the same light as Mohammad.

Shatter the mirrors of the beautiful,

you are the dazzling Joseph.

Blow the breath of life like Christ –

you, too, are of that air.

Break away from the unscrupulous;

do not fall for the deceit of ghouls.

You are of noble origin –

you are from the highest high.

By spirit, you are deathless –

imperishable;

magnificent from within.

You belong to the glorious –

you are of divine radiance.

What have you seen of your own beauty?

You are still veiled...

One dawn, like the sun,

you will rise up from within yourself.

It is a shame to be shrouded this way

like the moon under cloud.

Tear through the cloud of body!

You are the magnificent moon.

You are like a hawk whose feet are bound,

tethered to the body –

it is with your own claws

that you must untie the knots.

How joyous is gold when it enters the fire!

For it is within the flames

where it can show its essence

and radiate its virtues.

Do not run away from the fire's flames!

What will happen if you step into them

for trial's sake?

It will not burn you, I swear;

your face will glow, like gold.

For you are Abraham's kin;

ancient knowingness is yours.

No mine has a jewel like you!

This world has no life like you!

For this is the world of decay

and you are life-giving life.

💡 What This Poem Calls Us to Remember

• You are priceless. You are from divinity, made of it, and belong to it. Do not forget your worth.

• Like Moses, you too are called. You have power. A purpose. The ability to part waters—not literal seas, but the doubts and fears that keep others (and yourself) stuck.

• Like Mohammad, your light is meant to shine. You are here to serve others with love, courage, and truth.

• You are Joseph. Favored. Gifted with dreams and vision. Born to help others survive suffering.

• You carry the breath of Christ. He said it himself: even the least among you shall do greater works. That includes you.

• Do not be deceived by fear, shame, or illusion. To forget your divinity is to fall for a lie.

• You are not temporary. You are spirit—endless, glorious, alive from within.

• You are radiant. Even if you haven’t yet seen your own beauty, it is there.

• You are like the moon beneath clouds. Still shining, still whole. Just waiting to emerge.

• You are the hawk. Bound only by your own claws. But you have the strength to untie the knots.

• You are the gold. And the fire you fear is your forge. Trials are not meant to destroy you but to refine you.

• You are unique. A jewel without equal. A presence this world has never seen before.

• You are the life-giving life. In a world that forgets, decays, and withers—you are the one who remembers, renews, and restores.

This poem isn’t just about rising. It’s about remembering. And then choosing to live from that sacred remembrance.

You don’t need to become divine. You already are.

Just rise up.

And let the world feel your light.

🦁 Remember Who You Are: A Call to Rise Up

We all have our roles.

We all play our part.

In The Lion King, Rafiki was the wise guide.

Timon and Pumbaa brought joy and comic relief.

Nala was courage and loyalty.

And Simba—he was meant to be king.

Not because he was better, but because it was his calling.

Each one mattered. Each one had a place.

The top stone of the mountain is no more valuable than the one at its base.

And so too in life: you are needed—not in spite of your uniqueness, but because of it.

You don’t have to roar to have value.

You don’t need a crown to have a calling.

But you do need to remember who you are.

And that is point Rumi made so powerfully more than 800 years ago.

🌟 This Is Your Time to Rise

You are not here by accident.

You are not “less than.”

You are not waiting for permission.

The gifts inside you are not random—they are your calling from the universe.

You don’t need to roar like a lion or part the sea.

You just need to show up—as you and do what you were made to do.

You may not feel ready.

But the universe doesn’t call the qualified.

It qualifies the called.

Every trial you’ve faced, every fire you’ve walked through, every season of doubt—has been preparing you.

Not punishing you. Forging you.

Because the world doesn’t need a shadow of your true self.

It needs the original light only you carry.

So stop shrinking. Stop hiding.

You’re not waiting to become worthy.

You already are.

You’re not meant to live in fear.

You’re meant to rise in faith.

So remember who you are.

And rise up.

🔥 Now It’s Your Turn: Share the Inspiration

Rise up in a way that only you can.

Share this message with someone you know, who needs to be reminded, who needs to..

remember who they are…