Ancient Wisdom: The Indian Story of the Two Wolves
It is said that a wise Cherokee elder was once teaching his young grandson about life.
"There is a war going on inside of me", said the elder.
"It is a war between the two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. But the other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith", the old Cherokee said to his grandson.
Then the elder placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder and he said: "The same war is going on inside you and within the heart of every man, woman, and child".
The young man was thoughtful for a moment and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win the war?".
The old Cherokee replied, "It is simple, the one you feed."
Not all of us can become CEOs, movie stars, or billionaires. But we can all choose what kind of people we want to be. Because which wolf we choose to feed will define as. And, above all, will give us the power to make our lives happier, or on the contrary, more miserable.
The two wolves feed on our thoughts and emotions. Anger, fear, envy, jealousy, feed the evil wolf and he will grow bigger and bigger. And the more "food" (negative thoughts and emotions) you give him, the more insatiable he will become. So insatiable that one day he will completely overwhelm your heart and mind.
With the mind is filled with bitterness and sorrow, you will end up walking alone on the path of your life. Only you and the evil wolf, with no one around as people do not resist long in the company of darkness.
On the other hand, if you choose the path of compassion, kindness, and benevolence, you feed the good wolf. He will accompany you, faithfully, along the way and will take care of you and your loved ones. As love and joy are his food, he will help you enjoy life and the company of others.
So, remember that our thoughts, if they are left uncontrolled, can be our own worst enemy. If we let negative thoughts grow by allowing them to dominate our minds, we end up feeding our self-destruction.
Next time you have a negative thought, try to ask yourself, "What is this thought bringing me? Which wolf am I feeding?". And then make the appropriate choice: let the bad thoughts die, kill the evil wolf by starvation, and chose instead the positive thinking that leads you to peace and happiness.
"There is a war going on inside of me", said the elder.
"It is a war between the two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. But the other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith", the old Cherokee said to his grandson.
Then the elder placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder and he said: "The same war is going on inside you and within the heart of every man, woman, and child".
The young man was thoughtful for a moment and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win the war?".
The old Cherokee replied, "It is simple, the one you feed."
Beware Which Wolf you Feed
Through the story of the two wolves, the old Indian transmitted to his grandson and to us, the ones who hear it, an invaluable lesson: man has the power to choose who he wants to be.Not all of us can become CEOs, movie stars, or billionaires. But we can all choose what kind of people we want to be. Because which wolf we choose to feed will define as. And, above all, will give us the power to make our lives happier, or on the contrary, more miserable.
The two wolves feed on our thoughts and emotions. Anger, fear, envy, jealousy, feed the evil wolf and he will grow bigger and bigger. And the more "food" (negative thoughts and emotions) you give him, the more insatiable he will become. So insatiable that one day he will completely overwhelm your heart and mind.
With the mind is filled with bitterness and sorrow, you will end up walking alone on the path of your life. Only you and the evil wolf, with no one around as people do not resist long in the company of darkness.
On the other hand, if you choose the path of compassion, kindness, and benevolence, you feed the good wolf. He will accompany you, faithfully, along the way and will take care of you and your loved ones. As love and joy are his food, he will help you enjoy life and the company of others.
So, remember that our thoughts, if they are left uncontrolled, can be our own worst enemy. If we let negative thoughts grow by allowing them to dominate our minds, we end up feeding our self-destruction.
Next time you have a negative thought, try to ask yourself, "What is this thought bringing me? Which wolf am I feeding?". And then make the appropriate choice: let the bad thoughts die, kill the evil wolf by starvation, and chose instead the positive thinking that leads you to peace and happiness.
