The One You Feed

As we leave election season and enter the holiday season there is much to celebrate, and much to challenge us. I sometimes get lost in negative thoughts and am overwhelmed by the magnitude of any one issue. I can get stuck and swim in circular thinking. In that chaos of doubt and purpose, it is often difficult to pursue your path, to remain open to change and to move forward.

A guide I often pull out is the Native American tale of the Two Wolves. A popular legend of unknown origin, sometimes attributed to the Cherokee or Lenape people.

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 one you feed. Feeding the good/positive energy allows you space to focus, to follow your path and to change with experience. I often find it easier to feed the evil/negative energy. We all need practice to feed the positive. By cultivating that we develop a skill to help us through the challenges and bring us back from the pool of circular thinking.