I was talking with a client the other day about his struggles to stay positive and see the beauty in his day-to-day life. He talked about his life as though he was caught between the infamous “good and evil.” Up to that point it had always been easier for him to choose the “evil” side of life. The down-side to that was the cost…the resultant consequences of his action. He was finally starting to see that the cost was overwhelming. As we talked I shared that most of us from time to time struggle with making the “good” choice. But that each of us must take responsibility for whatever choice we end up making. When we include a substance to the mix, things tend to get that much more difficult. To that end, I shared with him the following story:

An old Cherokee told his grandson, life is a struggle between “two wolves” inside us.

One is Evil — anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, pride and ego.

The other is Good — joy, peace, love, hope, truth, serenity, humility, kindness, generosity, compassion and faith.

The grandson asked:  “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee replied:  “The one you feed.”

I shared with my client that I try my best to feed the “good” one each day and have found when I do my life stays mostly positive. As I asked him, I will ask you:  “Which one will you feed?”

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for it is a thing to be achieved. ”  
–William Jennings Bryan