A Cherokee elder taught his grandchildren through stories:
“A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight. It is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”
One of the grandchildren asks, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee replies simply,” The one you feed.”
Unemployment. Recession. A towering pile of credit card debt.
Looks bad, doesn’t it?
How you interpret each will be highly predictive of the results you get. You’ve probably heard that most fortunes are made during recessions. Those who yank their head beneath the hard shell of the word “recession” tend to feel the full-blown negative experience of that crisis.
But there are others who say, “Thank you for sharing with us the fallout that comes from a recession. But we’re not signing up for that.”
They then outsell, out-service, out-innovate, and pull ahead of their competition in remarkable ways. They make themselves invaluable, even during the worst of times (when it matters more).
Life will always have ups and downs—it’s the nature of our existence. It’s how you choose to deal with those setbacks that will determine the results of your life.
Difficulties seldom defeat people; lack of faith in ourselves usually does it.
Gandhi once said,
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers; and for a time, they can seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Think of it. Always.”
You choose which wolf to feed. Better darn well choose wisely.
Try this, make a list of the limitations you have bought into because it is conventional wisdom. Circle a few that you will choose to use as your motivator instead. Use these negative inclinations to help you overcome them.
Regardless of the circumstances, decide to feed the good wolf.