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.”

This story is a great reminder to me of the power I have over MY experience and emotions.

It’s so easy for me to feel like a victim in challenging situations. I want to understand my anxious thoughts and feelings, so I tend to judge and place blame on other people, objects, or events. Why did China have to hide this for so long? Why aren’t our hospitals more prepared? Do we really need to be calling school for the year in March? Why in the world are these kids gathering in large groups at spring break!!! I look outward to try to make sense of what’s going on inside of ME. It’s a natural way of coping, and feeling more in control of my uncontrollable situation temporarily, but I am left feeling just as miserable and discontent in the long term. Which wolf am I feeding when I do this?

I often look to external objects for comfort and relief. I used to drink wine in hopes that it would make me feel better, only to find that after the buzz was gone, I was left feeling weaker, more vulnerable and more anxious. The more that I seek out happiness, and look for it as if it is a treasure I will find, the less I am feeding the good wolf that is inside of me.

Just as I would with the bad wolf, it is imperative that I decide to nourish the wolf of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, truth and compassion. I already have everything I need to be happy. The feeling of happiness and joy comes from choosing to feed the wolf from within. As he becomes bigger and stronger, he will be better equipped to handle life’s challenges. If I choose to feed only him, he will always win.