Feed Your Good Wolf

In an old Cherokee legend, a grandfather explains to his young grandson that we all have two wolves within us that are often in battle: A good wolf that is all about love, compassion and kindness, and an evil wolf that represents greed, jealousy and anger. The boy asks, “Which wolf wins?” The elder Cherokee replies, “The one you feed.”

Whether you have heard this story or not, it can serve as an important reminder of the power that we have over our emotions and experiences. It is human nature to want to be a better person, yet we often fight the urge to overeat, have another drink, spend too much, or take the people around us for granted. 

We all have both wolves within us. Which one do you feed more? The wolf who is hungry for anger, envy, resentment or the one that is joy, love and kindness? You can make a life-changing decision about which wolf you want to feed.

Technique of the week: Choose to actively nourish your good wolf—the wolf of joy, peace, love, hope, kindness, empathy and generosity. We often look to external objects for our fulfillment and expect that these things (a new job, a relationship, a new pair of shoes) will finally make us happy. While they may bring momentary gratification, true lasting joy comes from making healthy choices that make you proud of the person that you are!

If you’d like one-on-one coaching on how to feed your good wolf, please feel free to email me for a complimentary 15-minute session at melissa@melissagarson.com.