‘Tale Of Two Wolves’ is a popular legend of unknown origin. In this legend, an old Cherokee is using a metaphor of two wolves fighting inside him. These wolves represent his inner conflict between negative and positive aspects of himself.
Two Wolves Legend
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.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is 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.”
Lessons
This legend teaches us three main lessons.
First, there will be always two wolves inside each of us, no matter what. And the first lesson we need to learn – we have to accept this. We always need to be aware, that no matter how good and positive we are, the evil wolf is still there. If we always remember about that wolf, we will never forget to make the right choice – to feed the good one. This fight will never be completely over, it’s always there.
The second lesson is to stop being afraid of the evil wolf. This wolf is here to challenge us. He provokes negative emotions (such as fear, doubt, loss of trust and belief) in us. We should learn how to recognize these emotions before they start to control us. Once we recognize them, we should let them go. Remember, that only unrecognized or blocked emotions can control you. By feeding the good wolf with positive emotions and thoughts we can win this battle.
The third lesson we need to learn is how to feed the right wolf. Remember, that every time you complain about your life you’re feeding the evil wolf. Every time you feel upset or depressed you’re feeding the evil wolf. Just start choosing every thought you have like your favorite food at the restaurant. Imagine that you came to your favorite restaurant. Would you order something you really hate? Would you ask for bad food for yourself? I don’t think so! You would order something you really like, or, at least, what’s good for your health. We need to choose our thoughts the same way we choose our favorite food at the restaurant.
Which wolf we choose to feed will define who we are!