The wolf that wins is the one you feed

You’ve likely heard of the story of the two wolves, attributed to Cherokee folklore:

An elder Cherokee chief says to his grandson,

“A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil—anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, lies, pride, and ego. The other is good—joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person too.” 

The grandson thinks for a moment and then asks,

“Which wolf will win?” 

The old Cherokee replies,

“The one you feed.”

The story reflects the internal struggle we all face between our darker impulses and our better nature. By feeding—or nurturing—thoughts, habits, and actions aligned with love, kindness, and self-awareness, we shape the direction of our character and life. Conversely, indulging in destructive tendencies only fuels the negativity within us.

It's a reminder that what we focus on grows. Every choice we make, no matter how small, feeds one wolf or the other. Over time, those choices stack up and they tell us who we are; and what wolf we’ve fed the most. You might say that you’re getting in shape, but if the choices you’ve made reflect a tired, out-of-shape dude, and on top of that you’ve got the magic Dorito dust on your fingers, I’ll bet on the Doritos over your words any day of the week.

Now, for those of us who are struggling with bad habits, self-destructive tendencies, or addictions, I’ve discovered something recently: as soon as you start to consider doing something you know isn’t good for you (that feeds the evil wolf), that’s when you know you’re already losing, for it means you’re under its grip in one way or another; your evil is seducing you. If you weren’t, would you even be considering it? Would this internal tugging and pulling between what you think you want versus what you truly want even be happening? Think about it: one who isn’t this or who doesn’t do that would not consider being this or doing that. At least not for more than a moment’s notice; only enough to dismiss it with a “Pfft, not in a million years”. I mean, how could such a person seriously even perceive such a course of action if that’s not them?

For example, would a prolific, best-selling fiction writer ever consider NOT writing? Would a musician ever consider NOT practicing? An athlete, ditching his workout, going to McDonald’s to get one of each, and topping it off with Twinkies for dessert? No, they wouldn’t. A writer writes. A musician practices. An athlete works out and eats clean.

So, what I’ve realized lately may be a bit extreme to some, but I’ve found it helpful and you might too:

One way to feed the good

One way to quit your bad habits is by catching yourself even at the sprouting of the thought and squandering it, reminding yourself that giving it more than a moment’s notice is an invitation into an inciting consideration, which makes you right then and there, the ideal accomplice who turns thoughts into actions, actions into character, and character into destiny.