The Power of Choice: The Story of Two Wolves
What do you choose more often?
To be happy, open, and forgiving, or to be concerned, defensive, and competitive? Maybe you choose to see yourself as a victim, a survivor, or a winner. The most important part is to recognize that it is a CHOICE. One that you are making either consciously or subconsciously. It can be best illustrated in this Native American parable:
The Story of Two Wolves
The Story of Two Wolves: An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
The Vibe: This story is so simple, so insightful, and so true. We have so much power over our experiences and emotions.
To Thrive: Make intentional choices to feed your curiosity, love, kindness, and joy. Get into the habit of pausing before you take an action and ask yourself, "How do I want to show up right now?" and "Which wolf am I feeding?"
This takes practice but it will make a world of difference in the quality and fulfillment of your life, career, and relationships.
I've been practicing for many years and I still don't always feed the "good" wolf. There are days I feel like a victim, or defensive, or just unwilling to see another point of view. It is usually a sign that I am missing something else in my life - maybe I'm edgy because I'm hungry or feeling lonely because I've isolated myself in the busyness of life, or because some crappy thing happened and I'm in the midst of it.
No one I know does this perfectly all the time. But the happiest, most successful people I know intentionally choose to feed and contribute to the good. They have a ton of self-awareness and make intentional decisions more often than they get caught in their subconscious patterns.
If you can't recognize where the choice opportunities are and you feel stuck in the "bad" wolf pattern, ask for help. A therapist, counselor, coach, support group, etc.
Old habits die hard. If you've been feeding the bad wolf for awhile, it is pretty strong and it is going to take a long time to weaken. It is ok - there is no rush.
Important: Don't blame yourself. Knowing you have a choice as to which wolf to feed is freedom going forward, not a stick to beat yourself with for past "bad" choices.
Start feeding the good wolf and let the positive thoughts build. Start pausing, redirecting your thoughts, and doing things a different way. Strengthen your good wolf and let it win :)
What you focus on grows, what you feed strengthens.
Cheers to intentional feeding of your thoughts and actions,
Sharon
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