I recently heard the story of an ancient man telling his grandson about the two wolves that live inside of every one of us that are in a constant battle. The evil wolf feeds on anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies & ego. The good wolf feeds on love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The grandson asked the man, which wolf wins? The man said, the wolf that you feed.
I am sure you have experienced all the feelings that the wolves feed on at some point in your life. You probably have fed the evil wolf at times and other times you have decided to feed the good wolf. Do you remember how does it feel in the body to feed either of the two wolves?
Your answers may vary, but most likely feeding the good wolf felt good in the body while feeding the evil wolf may have had bad effects on your mood, your sleep, your stomach, your blood pressure and even your muscles. It is inevitable to feel the emotions and we should not hide them of push them away. It is what we do with the emotion that will help us or destroy us.
See, when people make us angry we can decide to feed that anger every day by remembering what they did. This can quickly take us down the rabbit hole at the same time that we give the evil wolf more power and energy. When we decide to change the anger for empathy, we are in a position where we can see things differently. We stop being the victims and we become more human as we practice compassion and put ourselves in other people's shoes. The feeling in the body is completely different.
How many times have you fed the evil wolf? Ask yourself if it has been worth it? We do it without paying too much attention, but keep in mind that the more you feed the evil wolf with anger (to follow the previous example), the angrier you will be. Is that aligned with what you want for yourself?
It all starts with awareness. Next time you are in a situation where you need to feed one of the wolves, just stop and be aware. When you are aware, that is when you will be able to respond instead of react.
A world renowned researcher Dr. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D. mentions in her book Positivity, that the power of positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, hope, and love, enhances your relationships, improves your health, relieves depression and broadens your mind. I believe that positive emotions set us free. So, my recommendation is to feed the good wolf to achieve happiness, peace, and freedom. Now, it is your decision, what wolf are you going to feed?