As the story goes, an elderly Cherokee grandfather was walking with his grandson and striving to impart some grandfatherly wisdom. “Within us,” the old man began, “are two wolves locked in a constant state of battle. The good wolf represents all of the good things we seek to be: brave, honest, true, happy, generous of spirit. The bad wolf represents greed, anger, selfishness, arrogance, hatred, and fear.”
The young boy looked up at his grandfather and asked, “Which one will win?”
The grandfather replied simply, “Whichever one you feed.”
We all have those voices -- those wolves -- within us. No one is the perfect version of themselves and no one can avoid moments of self-doubt, never feel anger or jealousy. We all have selfish moments. And every one of us is capable of joy and love and acts of generosity.
We need to consciously feed the good wolf. Here’s what she loves.
The good wolf loves to be outside in nature. She loves to move and stretch and grow. She loves to be with people who stroke her fur and have her back. She loves to play. She loves hard work. She loves to care for her pups. She loves a den that is cozy, safe and warm. She loves her pack. She loves fresh food and sunshine.
The bad wolf feeds on negativity and doubt and she seeks people who spew negativity and doubt. She loves gossip and junk food. She thinks about herself first. She keeps score, doesn’t make her bed in the morning and spends a lot of time on social media. She doesn’t bother to feed her spirit or her soul. And she rarely laughs.
Which wolf will you feed today?