I have heard many versions of this Cherokee legend:
An old grandfather 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 – full of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good – full of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
There are so many sources of negative messages that swim around in our brains. Some come from painful memories; others we absorb from the culture around us that inputs negative data into our personal hard drives constantly.
We can choose to feed our brains more nourishing food that is life-giving, compassionate, and builds on our natural capacity to change and grow. Meditation, music, or simply taking in the loving words another person expresses to us without rejecting them. Here are a few examples:
"I am learning to be patient."
"I am becoming a person who loves to exercise."
"I am breathing deeply."
"I am lovable."
This works. There are many living examples around us.
Which wolf are you feeding inside you?