Which Wolf are You Feeding?

Last week I wrote about how to overcome negative self-talk. It reminds me of the fable in which 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. The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

He continued, “The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

So which wolf will you feed today?

Take a moment and consider your day. Or consider a key moment or challenging situation you are facing today. Now talk to yourself about your day or this specific situation in a way that is self-empowering and most likely to bring good outcomes. Notice your tendency to slip into negative self-talk. Recommit to positive self-talk, to feeding a perspective that will bring you joy, peace, love, and hope.