E108 The One You Feed
I heard this legend told by a woman who was speaking about her struggle with depression. I believe there is a strong lesson here for all of us. It is especially helpful when we begin to experience losses and the temptation to cave into sorrow can be overwhelming.
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.”
I found the woman after the event where she was speaking and thanked her and her eyes welled up with tears. She said, “This is my battle every day”. I hugged her and thanked her again for being so brave.
