One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’
-Author Unknown
This is an amazing lesson but also a great challenge. Everybody faces this battle - call it the angel and the devil on your shoulder or call it the two wolves. The challenge is the same.
I first read this story in the book Taking The Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron - it is in the first chapter. The practice of feeding the right wolf takes courage and commitment - it requires being present and open to facing fears and discomfort. A challenge, indeed.
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