Which Wolf Do You Feed?

You know those days when you wonder why on
earth you are still doing this job, this
work, this relationship, this blog.

The days when you think, who’s out there,
who cares.  What difference does it make.

The days when you forget the reason, you
forget your story, you forget your vision,
you forget your brilliance.

And then there are the days when everything
is crystal clear.  When you just shine. 

When your purpose, actions and outstanding
results are all perfectly aligned.

I got to thinking about the ‘when’ and ‘how’
and ‘what ifs’ about these two opposite states.

And then this week I was given a gift from
a super-bright student, a reminder of a wonderful
story. 

I was reminded of the Cherokee Legend called
“Grandfather Tells” which is also known as
“The Wolves Within”. 

This is the story.
 
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came
to him with anger at a friend who had done him an
injustice, “Let me tell you a story.
 
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those
that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what
they do.
 
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your
enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your
enemy would die. I have struggled with these
feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if
there are two wolves inside me. One is good and
does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around
him, and does not take offense when no offense was
intended. He will only fight when it is right to
do so, and in the right way.
 
But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The
littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper.
He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason.
He cannot think because his anger and hate are so
great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will
change nothing.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two
wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate
my spirit.”
 
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s
eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”
 
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one
I feed.”

Which of the wolves do you feed?

It is the wolf of exhaustion, self-doubt and disbelief.
Or is it the wolf of optimism, energy and generosity?

Maybe if we figured out HOW we feed our bright,
smart, harmonious wolf then we could do it more often.

I’ll start.  I fed mine at the beach this week,
running with the kids, watching the sun set and
allowing myself be looked after by everyone else
when I was sick.

How do you feed yours?

Leave a comment below!

Best wishes and best stories!
Lisa

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16 comments on “Which Wolf Do You Feed?”

  1. Lisa, this is so lovely. Thank you.

    When the “too busy, can’t get it all done, not enjoying the process” wolf comes knocking, I go to nature. When we are in Mexico winters by the ocean, the ocean view where I create in the house does not provide what is necessary to bring back the joy and creativity. Walking or sitting out by the water, and just letting go of the process always brings in what I need to move forward feeling creative, energized,and joyful. When I am most pressed for time and ideas with deadlines, I simply stop everything and go to nature to nourish.

    • Hey Viki, thanks for joining the conversation! I too get great balance from nature, often pop down to the beach to fed my calm, creative and ‘more sane with the kids’ wolf!!!! I love your description.
      Best wishes, Lisa

  2. Lisa,
    Thanks for this refreshing reminder of ways to feed the Light within us and help it to grow. I truly appreciate your work and ‘love’ your stories. Best Regards,
    Davia

  3. You know the nursery rhyme “there was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead and when she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was horrid.” Well, that’s my teaching style – I’m sometimes this super teacher and the students think I’m the greatest teacher ever. And then there’s the hostile crowd. The students have decided you can’t teach and won’t participate in whatever you try to do. You reach a breaking point and either quit or get fired. But then I pick myself up and talk myself into another equally difficult teaching position. Like, tomorrow, I have an interview. I have all the qualifications, but truth be told, I have no experience. But when I go there, I’m very confident. I usually interview the interviewer as I know all the shoptalk lingo. I also know qualified teachers are a scarce commodity, so they need me. Ok, it’s a large class and I’m used to small groups (where I shine). You know Julie Andrews song before she goes to her governess job (a captain with 7 children what’s so fearsome about that) in the Sound of Music:” I have confidence in me…Strength lies in nice and peaceful slumbers…”
    And there’s the inevitable question: how’s your discipline abilities – which I usually circumvent with: a well-planned structured lesson usually doesn’t have discipline problems. Oh, yeah? Well, interviewing is storytelling. And if I’m to perform well tomorrow’, I’d better get some slumber…Good night!

      • i have guessed. very imsesrpive. a matching interests and mutual admiration are the best ingredients in a relationship. very happy for you.in life, i am always adjusting and reinventing and try to make everyday the best ever. my goal is simple, just be happy and leave no regrets. positive energy is always an important part of my daily life. i will try to keep it that way as long as i can. reading your and Ming’s posts will reinforce my effort. thank you for sharing.now, be good to yourself and don’t work too hard.

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